ADDIS ABABA, (FBC) –The 67th Extraordinary Session of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Council of Ministers kicked off in Juba, South Sudan, yesterday.
Chaired by Ethiopia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairperson of the IGAD Council of Ministers, Gedu Andargachew, aimed at taking stock of the progress made in the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement and the challenges encountered in meeting some of the key timelines and benchmarks.
Gedu commended the parties for their commitment to reach at consensus in extending the pretransitional period for six months to allow for the full implementation of critical pending tasks. In connection, the Minister noted the importance of developing a clear roadmap and implementation schedules for the pending tasks.
Acknowledging the challenge related to finance, Gedu also commended the Transitional Government of National Unity for its pledges to commit $100 million to expedite the implementation of the pending tasks, which he said, would encourage regional and international partners to provide support to this process.
Despite the challenges and delays in meeting some of the timelines and benchmarks, he said progress has been made since the signing of the peace agreement, including the establishment and reconstitution of the necessary agreement institutions and implementation mechanisms for the Pre-Transitional Period as well as improvements in the implementation of the permanent ceasefire. “I hope at the end of our meeting, we will be able to agree on the right course of action to help the process move forward,” he added.
The Ethiopian Herald, May 8/2019
BY MENGISTEAB TESHOME
