The formation of the Transitional Government of National Unity is major step in the  return to peace and stability in South Sudan.

The implementation of the agreement on the resolution of the conflict in the Republic of South Sudan signed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on August 17, 2015 has reached a decisive phase. The country’s leaders have formed a transitional coalition government that brings together politicians from the government, the armed opposition who have been at war   since 2013 and other national stake holders.

Indeed, the agreement provided for the formation of a transition government of national unity between government, South Sudan Armed Opposition and former Detainees and other political parties respectively that took part in the peace talks. With respect to the provisions of the agreement, incumbent President Salva Kiir is President, the leader of the Armed of Opposition, Riek Machar is First Vice President. The power-sharing ratios established by the agreement indicated that the government shall have 53 per cent of the cabinet positions, Armed opposition 33 per cent and the former detainees and other political parties seven per cent. 

It was in view of implementing the agreement that President Salva Kiir named 16  of the new government of 30 cabinet ministers,  leader of the armed opposition, Mr Machar nominated 10 ministers and four others selected by political groups outside Kiir and Machar’s factions. After the first cabinet meeting on Friday, April 29, 2016, President Kiir declared that, “The people who were saying that you cannot be supported (with foreign aid) unless you form the transitional government of national unity, if they have agents here, they should report back to them that the government has been established,” Associated Press quoted.

The transitional period that was supposed to commence 90 days after the signing of the August 17, 2015 peace talks has finally started. It will last for 30 months and government has to use the period to implement the agreement and restore peace, security and stability in South Sudan.

Riek Machar who is the First Vice President has to supervise the reforms outlined in the agreement and exercise other assigned powers, functions and responsibilities. The post of First Vice President shall cease to exist at the conclusion of the transition period. During the period, he shall be Commander-in-Chief of the South Sudan Armed Opposition forces until the establishment of the shared unified National Defence Forces of South Sudan. He also has to occupy the position of the acting Commander-in-Chief of the unified South Sudan National Defence Force in the event of any temporary absence of the President who is the Commander-in-Chief.

The government and armed opposition ought to have declared a permanent ceasefire three days after the signing of the peace deal. That was not done and with the national unity government formed, the ceasefire has to be declared in order to ensure sustainable peace, and facilitate the operationalisation of Transition Security Arrangement and the resettlement  and repatriation of returnees and internally displaced persons. The leaders would also have to implement the decisions concerning the ratio in the sharing of positions in the 400-member Transitional National Legislative Assembly and the Councils of State.