South Sudan’s SSPDF forces assembling in one of its locations. |File Photo|.
The escalating armed confrontation between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and Sudan People’s Liberation Army In-Opposition in Western Equatoria and Western Bahr el Ghazal states, coupled with the massive mobilization of the White Army fighters (local armed youth) in Nasir, Ulang, and Nyirol counties threatens the fragile revitalized peace agreement.
SSPDF and SPLA-IO have been fighting for the last two months over the removal of the illegal roadblocks in Western Equatoria and Western Bahr el Ghazal states, with each accusing the other of starting the fighting, however, there seems no intention to back down despite repeated calls to cease the fighting.
Early this week, the SPLA-IO accused the SSPDF of air raiding its bases in Ulang County of Upper Nile State. The SSPDF claimed it was firing at the advancing White Army fighters.
Today (Thursday, 27 February), the African Union Mission in South Sudan (AUMISS), the Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) voiced serious concerns about the ongoing tensions in Upper Nile State, as well as the clashes between the parties that signed the 2018 revitalized peace agreement in Western Equatoria and Western Bahr el Ghazal states.
The pressure groups called upon the parties to urgently work together through the established mechanisms of the revitalized peace agreement to de-escalate the situation to restore calm in Upper Nile State.
According to the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM), the security situation in Upper Nile State in particular, has significantly deteriorated in the past weeks.
The armed conflict has been heightened by the ongoing rotation of forces in Nasir, raising concerns about the likelihood of widespread violence.
The pressure groups called on the leadership of the transitional government of national unity and the Joint Defence Board (JDB) to work collegially, and swiftly remedy the persistent security concerns in all the three states.
The regional bodies cautioned that if left unaddressed, these incidents could potentially undermine the permanent ceasefire, which remains the cornerstone of the revitalized peace agreement.
They underscored the need to progress the full and rapid unification and urgent deployment of the necessary unified forces to boost public faith and trust in the unity government’s commitment to lasting peace and stability in South Sudan, at this critical time as the country commences the fourth extension of its ongoing transitional period.
