South Sudan’s warring parties, SPLA-Juba and SPLA-IO have downplayed a recent report released by the IGAD Monitoring & Verification Mechanism (MVM) about three ceasefire violations in South Sudan covering the period of mid to late March 2015.
Col. Philip Aguer, spokesman of the SPLA-Juba forces, says the IGAD talks about an imaginary agreement that is not being implemented on the ground.
Aguer further said the rebels haven’t committed themselves to implementing the agreement during this period.
He added their forces have been in trenches in respect of the cessation of hostilities agreement. “But the other side didn’t respect the terms of the agreement, prompting the SPLA leadership to protect citizens according to the constitution,” he said.
He rejected the report that the government forces did not comply with the agreement.
Meanwhile, SPLM-IO chief negotiator Taban Deng also downplayed the report by the IGAD monitoring mechanism. He accused the government troops of violating the cessation of hostilities agreement.
He told Radio Tamazuj from Pagak that the IGAD monitoring team is not present on the ground.
“So they just file a report either in Juba or Addis Ababa, but the government forces have violated the agreement,” he said.
Taban also accused the Juba government of committing atrocities in Unity State in late April. The SPLA-Juba torched various villages including Nhialdiu on 24 April, according to the rebel leader.
He added thousands of civilians were displaced to Bahr al Ghazal region and others crossed to Sudanese territories amid deteriorating humanitarian conditions.
The rebel negotiator also accused the government forces of taking dozens of captives including women and children in Unity State recently.
He claimed that the government forces also took cattle from citizens cattle from Unity State to Warrap State.
The rebel chief negotiator called on the people of South Sudan to take note of the activities carried out by the government against innocent civilians.
IGAD report on violations
In the three reported incidents, IGAD monitors found that rebel SPLM/A-IO fighters carried out an attack on government forces in Ayod on 25 March. They also found that SPLM/A (IO) forces ambushed a government vehicle on 17 March in Rubkona.
Ceasefire monitors held government forces responsible for provoking clashes around Bentiu on 23-24 March.
Call for dialogue
Separately, Lam Akol, the chairman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement for Democratic Change (SPLM-DC) called for a national dialogue to end the ongoing civil war in South Sudan.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, Akol stressed that the ongoing conflict will not be solved through military means.
File photo: Taban Deng