The government of South Sudan should declare if its has reduced the number of soldiers in Juba, a leading NGO said on Sunday.
“Demonstrating actions that are disturbing need(s) to be (stopped)” said Edmund Yakani Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) in a press release. “Actions such as threats of arrest for the CTSAMM monitors in Yambio or elsewhere are discouraging and demoralizing the public trusts and confidence on the peace agreement implementation”
Since the return of first Vice President Riek Machar, the number of government soldiers in the capital has been disputed. According to the peace agreement, the government is allowed 3420 soldiers and 1500 police officers. Monitors over the peace deal have repeatedly said they cannot declare the government of South Sudan has reduced the number of troops in Juba.
“JMEC and CTSAMM has to keep the public informed on the demilitarization of Juba and the demilitarization of the other locations of Jongeli, Unity and Upper Nile” the CEPO report said.
In recent weeks, diplomats and monitoring officials have become frustrated with the leadership of CTSAMM and JMEC. They say the organizations are hesitant to confront the government over ceasefire violations as fighting continues in parts of the country.
“We have observed that the last few weeks is a very calm quiet,” said Major General Molla Hailemariam, chairman of CTSAMM in a statement last week.
The CEPO report also said a dispute over military cantonment sites in Equatoria and Bahr el Ghazal should be resolved.
The SPLA-IO has repeatedly accused the government of attacking its cantonment sites in Western Equatoria and Western Bahr el Ghazal, but the government says there are no opposition troops in the area.
“Execution of the cantonment areas establishment is too much politicized” the report noted, and said it “has contributed in an increase of insecurity/Bandit activities among the communities in locations such as Wau, Yei, Morobo, Kajo-kaji and Juba-Bor road”
CEPO said to resolve the disputes, the transitional government should speed up the implementation of the peace agreement, and settle the disagreement over the cantonment sites.
Related:
Has Juba been demilitarized? A guide for confused observers (23 Apr.)
CEPO accuses CTSAMM of not reporting sexual violence violations (11 Apr.)
South Sudan expels ceasefire monitors from Yambio (24 Mar.)