Monitoring and Evaluating Peace Agreements in Africa: Lessons From the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission in South Sudan

Abstract

Through the use of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) in South Sudan as a case study, this paper aims to explore the Monitoring and Evaluating Peace Agreements in Africa. The efficiency of Monitoring and Evaluation commissions in incorporating peace agreements in Africa was investigated in this study, along with challenges and opportunities. It also assessed the efficiency of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission in observing the implementation of the South Sudan peace agreement. The study's findings, conclusion, and recommendations were derived utilising primary and secondary data. According to this study, the manner in which Monitoring and Evaluation is carried out has a significant impact on the integrity of results and evaluations in Africa. The United Nations Security and Stabilization Support Strategy for Eastern DRC (UNSSSS) for the DRC, the Commission for the Consolidation of Peace (CCP) for Sierra Leone, and Assessment and Evaluation on Sudan Peace Agreement Process for Sudan are some of the African case studies used in this study. The study also examined that the R-JMEC has not fully executed its mandate as it was intended during its formation and quite a number of issues have not been taken into consideration by the commission as required. The study established that several challenges have severely limited progress in the pace of the Monitoring and Evaluation process. Some of the challenges discussed in this study are: overly ambitious goals; inadequate political will; trust deficit, non-compliance and lack of co-ordination amongst parties, poor priority choices, inadequate funding, poor coordination of security mechanisms, non-completion of the unification of forces; and insufficient technical expertise. The study further looked at opportunities which R-JMEC should embrace to make the Monitoring and Evaluation process worthwhile in attaining the mandate the commission was meant to meet. Some of the opportunities tackled in the research include: engaging grassroot administration and citizens; practicing enforcement mechanism, utilizing national research institutions, considering a prominent leader as R-JMEC chair; working on the outstanding tasks under the chapter. Additionally, this study explored that little estimation has been done in relation to peace implementation in the DRC due to barriers like vagueness in the project interventions' objectives, disparities, and outside forces' interference; limited institutional capacity and time for Monitoring and Evaluation; a pretty volatile operating environment that necessitates constant plan adaptation, reprioritization of actions, and revision of targets; and coordination among project participants. The report further claimed that CPA's ambiguity was the primary cause of its slow implementation and, consequently, its slow Monitoring and Evaluation. Favoritism and anticorruption laws also significantly slowed down the adoption of CPA. Finally, the study makes the following recommendations: the R-JMEC should set realistic time frame to avoid resetting of new time frames every time the initial stipulated timelines elapse; mobilize sufficient human resources and finances to enable smooth running of activities; lifting of arms embargo to allow deployment of the unified national forces; considering having a prominent African leader, this will give the commission a better picture from fellow leaders and guarantors; and involvement of the grassroot administration and representation of the disabled, this will make all the citizens feel part of the Monitoring and Evaluation process.