The African Union body that monitors the implementation of South Sudan's peace deal says insecurity remains the biggest challenge to the unity government. But the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission has acknowledged some progress.

The commission's chief, Festus Mogae, says the implementation of the 2015 peace deal is moving in the right direction.

"Within Chapter One, I welcome the approval of the transitional government of national unity of the appointment of the chairperson of the national constitution amendment committee, Mr Gichira Kibara," said Festus Mogae, Chair, Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission.

"Within Chapter Two, the transitional security arrangement mechanisms that I previously described as disintegrated have now been revised and reintegrated."

Mogae has, however, urged the unity government to provide more security for South Sudanese.

More than a million people have been displaced as a result of the ongoing violence.

"Insecurity is the cause of all the bad things that are happening in the country. People's lives have been disrupted, people who are normally self-reliant, growing food for themselves, they cannot do so because of insecurity," Festus Mogae said.

South Sudan's unity government admits that providing such security remains its biggest failure.

But authorities say they're working on the matter.

"You cannot be able to distinguish now who is fighting without cantonment sites. It's agreed that there will be four cantonment sites in Equatoria and the IO forces will be asked to join those areas," said Dhieu Mathok Diing Wol, South Sudanese Eletricity Minister.

"The only challenge now facing this issue is the funding, the finance. But we believe that together with the partnership of South Sudan and the unity government we will be able to address this issue."

South Sudan's government has started setting up the institutions laid out in the peace deal. But for many South Sudanese, it'll be a long time before they feel the impact of these positive developments.