![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.gpaj.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/180918_01.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\u3000The Security Council is meeting on September 18 to review the situation in South Sudan. The Council will receive briefings from Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan Nicholas Haysom and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Special Envoy for South Sudan Ismail Wais. <\/p>\n
\u3000According to \u201cWhat`s in Blue\u201d of the Security Council Report of 17 September 2018, UN and other international officials have expressed their hope as well as serious concern about the prospect of newly signed agreement, R-ARCSS which replaced the ARCSS of 2015 incorporates the 21 December 2017 Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, the 27 June Khartoum Declaration and the 5 August agreement on outstanding issues of governance and responsibility-sharing. It was signed by the Transitional Government of National Unity; the Sudan People\u2019s Liberation Movement (SPLM)\/Sudan People\u2019s Liberations Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO); SPLM Former Detainees; South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) and other political parties, although four members of the SSOA have since reportedly expressed their rejection of the agreement.<\/p>\n
\u3000Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres welcomed the signing of the R-ARCSS as \u201ca positive and a significant development\u201d while calling on the parties \u201cto fully and inclusively implement\u201d it. He added that the UN \u201cstands ready, in close coordination with IGAD and the African Union, to assist the parties in implementing\u201d the agreement.<\/p>\n
\u3000Several UN and other international actors made statements about the signing of the R-ARCSS. Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) David Shearer said that \u201cthe greatest challenges are yet to come during the implementation phase\u2026The key ingredient still lacking is trust\u2026From my discussions with all parties, suspicion is widespread. It is beholden on all of us here today to help encourage trust between parties.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u3000Members of the Troika (Norway, the UK and the US) similarly issued a statement expressing concern about the parties\u2019 level of commitment and calling for a significant change in their approach, to \u201cinclude, but not be limited to: an end to violence and full humanitarian access; the release of political prisoners; and a real commitment to effective and accountable implementation, demonstrated by supporting robust security and enforcement mechanisms, checks on executive and majority power, and the transparent use of resources for the benefit of all South Sudanese\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u3000Japan has expressed its strong hope that the relevant parties will demonstrate their strong political will and implement the measures such as security sector reform, constitutional amendments and resolution of the issues concerning State numbers and boundaries, while observing ceasefire. Japan also hopes that a culture of peace and co-existence will take root deeply in South Sudan through these implementations, and that the revitalized transitional government will be established within eight months as agreed.<\/p>\n