The body monitoring South Sudan's ceasefire has expressed concern over the continued armed confrontations between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) in various locations in the country and other hold-out groups in Central Equatoria.
Speaking at the opening of the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangement Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) meeting, the chairman Major General Teshome Gemechu Aderie said areas around Kajo-Keji remain fragile following recent confrontations in Moroto Unified Training Center.
“The situation in general in the areas of Moroto is still fragile and this has resulted in the displacement of civilians and some alleged rape cases. We also call upon the parties involved to take the necessary steps and adhere to the ceasefire and the protection of the civilians,” he said.
“This meeting will focus on five reports which are going to be presented. They are the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) from October 2018 to November 2020, the interim report on the fighting and the tension in Central Equatoria State, the arrest of civilians and UN staff, the armed clashes in the Lobonok area, and the troop movement from Northern Baher-el-Ghazal to Upper Nile State,” Gen. Gamechu added.
Major General Bior Leek who represents the former detainees at CTSAMVM, while speaking at the meeting, highlighted delays in the deployment of the unified forces.
“I am deeply concerned about the delay in the deployment of the unified forces. And let us be frank about it, the forces will not be deployed, will not be graduated and that is the fact,” Gen. Bior lamented. “Mr. Chairman, I am deeply concerned with the international community by insisting on not lifting the arms embargo on South Sudan because the government will not be able to deploy these forces because they don’t have arms. Who are we going to blame if those forces are not graduated? I am deeply concerned, and let us not keep lying that the forces will be deployed or graduated.”
Gen. Bior also called for an immediate end to ceasefire violations all over the country and inter-communal fighting around the Terekeka area.
“I am also deeply concerned about the violations. Violation is a violation. Even today, if one bullet went out from your gun, you term it as a violation. So, the fighting in the Central Equatoria region, in Moroto training center is a violation. So I am urging the parties to continue to bring down all these violations, people should talk, bring the culprit to justice. Who started that fighting? Secondly, I am deeply concerned about the inter-communal fighting which is going around here in Terekeka County. Those fighting needs to be stopped.”
He raised an alarm about the deteriorating conditions in the cantonment centers, training sites, and that of the peace delegations in Juba and said their situation is getting worse every day.
Early this month, the SPLA-IO leadership in Juba called for speedy unification of the forces to avoid recurrent clashes.
The SSPDF and SPLA-IO have continued to trade accusations, particularly in the Kajokeji area.
This call came a week after CTSAMVM identified General Moses Lokujo, who recently defected to the SSPDF, as being responsible for the recent fighting and displacement of civilians around the Kajo-Keji area.