The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) has cautioned that South Sudan’s 2018 peace agreement is on the verge of collapse due to delays in implementation and growing mistrust among signatories.

Presenting the body’s second quarterly report to parliament on Monday, RJMEC Interim Chairperson Amb. Maj. Gen. Aggrey George Owinow pointed to the continued confinement of First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar as a major setback. Machar, who chairs the governance cluster of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), has been under house arrest.

“The ongoing house arrest of Dr. Riek Machar, together with the detention of several senior SPLM/A-IO officials, has negatively impacted implementation,” Owinow told MPs.

He further accused some parties of taking unilateral decisions that violate the spirit of the power-sharing deal. “Unilateral dismissals and appointments undertaken without consultations erode trust and undermine the agreement,” he noted.

According to the report, several SPLM-IO members, including former Deputy Speaker Nathaniel Oyet, have fled the country fearing detention, disrupting the work of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly.

Owinow urged lawmakers to safeguard the peace deal and press the parties to recommit. “RJMEC appeals to this august house to protect the sanctity of the agreement and ensure compliance,” he said.

The monitoring body also reaffirmed its engagement with regional stakeholders to ease tensions and keep the peace process alive. Owinow warned that the country risks sliding back into war if urgent steps are not taken.

“This house must lead efforts to bring the peace process back on track. The R-ARCSS remains the best path to lasting peace,” he stressed.

RJMEC called for a ceasefire, the release of detainees, inter-party dialogue, and faster implementation of the deal. These demands align with calls from IGAD, the UN, the African Union and other international actors during their recent solidarity mission to South Sudan.

The report was later referred to parliament’s Standing Committees on Peace and Reconciliation, and Legislation and Justice, which are expected to present their findings within 14 days.