A team of American officials from the US Embassy in South Sudan met last week with armed opposition general Johnson Olony and the SPLA division commander in Upper Nile state.

US Ambassador to South Sudan Mary Catherine Phee said an "ad-hoc" ceasefire monitoring team comprising US officials accompanied by members of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) traveled to Malakal last week to meet the SPLA commander there and then crossed the Nile to the west bank to meet Olony.

Prior to the meetings, SPLA Chief of Staff Paul Malong instructed his commanders to give the "ad-hoc" US-UNMISS monitoring team unrestricted movement, according to written orders dated 14 September seen by Radio Tamazuj.

Phee said the purpose of the Upper Nile visit was to support a new ceasefire monitoring team called for by the peace agreement signed between President Salva Kiir and armed opposition leader Riek Machar last month, as well as to confirm that the ceasefire is holding in Upper Nile.

To date, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has been tasked with monitoring violations of South Sudan's various ceasefires, but has been criticized for not publicly reporting all violations which take place, besides being slow to report violations. Phee said the joint US-UNMISS mission demonstrated to both sides the importance of an effective monitoring group.

According to the compromise peace agreement, there shall be a new "Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism" to report on violations. This group will be chaired by IGAD and include representatives from the warring parties, former detainees, political parties, stakeholders, and the international community.

Phee said the US will not be formally involved in a future ceasefire monitoring team, but said there are serious discussions ongoing about setting up the new group.

UNMISS spokesperson Ariane Quentier when reached for comment by Radio Tamazuj denied her organization deployed any monitoring teams with US officials.

Separately, Phee said the visit to Olony was unrelated to sanctions threats against him and Malong. She added that the meetings in Upper Nile also helped improve access for aid workers to the Nile's west bank.

File photo: UN helicopter