The United States, Britain and Norway jointly expressed concern on Friday over an agreement between South Sudan's feuding sides to establish a power-sharing government, saying the arrangements were not realistic or sustainable.
"Given their past leadership failures, South Sudanese leaders will need to behave differently and demonstrate commitment to peace and good governance," the three countries said in a joint statement.
The countries questioned how security would be provided during the transition period in the capital Juba and "how meaningful checks will be placed on executive power."
They also emphasized the need for a reduction in violence and urged leaders to ensure full humanitarian access.
Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch criticized South Sudan President Salva Kiir for granting a general amnesty to his former deputy Riek Machar.
“South Sudan’s leaders have a history of providing de facto blanket amnesty to opponents as part of peace deals, even prior to the country’s independence in 2011,” it said.
“The resulting lack of justice has contributed to the country’s deepening social and ethnic divisions, and fuelled violence and abuses,” it stated.
Human Rights Watch has previously urged mediators and South Sudanese leaders to ensure that peace deals did not include any amnesty for serious crimes.
“Despite provisions in the August 2015 Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS) that envision a hybrid court to prosecute international crimes, South Sudan’s transitional government has not made genuine progress toward setting up the court,” it said.
“A memorandum of understanding on the court with the African Union (AU) has yet to be signed, and domestic legislation is yet to be adopted,” it added.
