Western diplomats call for immediate end of fighting in South Sudan
May 22, 2015 (JUBA) – Visiting diplomats to South Sudan’s capital, Juba, have condemned the recent fighting in Unity and Upper Nile states and called on the warring parties to cease hostilities.
In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Friday the diplomats have called on the opposition faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO), led by former vice president Riek Machar and the South Sudan government headed by president Salva Kiir to end the 17-month long conflict.
“The heads of missions are deeply concerned about the spread of violence in Unity state and Upper Nile. The ongoing military offensives constitute blatant violations of the cessation of
hostilities agreement signed by the Government of South Sudan and the SPLM/A-in Opposition,” partly says the statement.
The diplomats urged the warring parties in the “strongest possible terms” to end the fighting and killing immediately, both to respect the ceasefire and stop the “terrible” humanitarian consequences.
South Sudan warring parties have been engaged in intensive military operations for the past three weeks in Upper Nile and Unity states.
It is reported the military activities during recent weeks in the two states have forced up to 100,000 people to flee from their homes. Humanitarian actors have also been forced to leave areas which already were extremely fragile and volatile.
The result is that an estimated 650,000 people are left without life-saving aid at the onset of the rainy season. The heads of missions are especially disturbed by reports coming from the conflict ravaged areas about gross human rights violations, often targeting children and women.
The statement says situation in Unity and Upper Nile states are volatile, adding that they are standing against destabilization of citizens and urging both parties to stop fighting.
“Those responsible for violations of human rights and other humanitarian crimes must be held to account. We urge all fighting parties to lay down arms, ensure the safety and security of civilians and humanitarian aid workers, and provide unhindered access for humanitarian aid,” the statement added.
The groups called on the South Sudan warring parties to continue with face to face dialogue to end the conflict and restore peace in the country.
“The only way forward is for all parties to immediately return to the negotiating table to resolve the crisis,” they said.
Recently a regional Great Lake region that include Angola, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda have rejected direct involvement of troika countries and the United Nations in another expected round of talks in Ethiopia.
They also rejected the United Nations resolutions which calls for targeted sanctions and arms embargo on South Sudan.
Observers criticize the African leaders for failure to successfully mediate between the warring parties and at the same time refusing direct help from outside the continent.
The East African regional bloc (IGAD) said it was developing a new mechanism to expand membership of the mediation team that will include troika countries (US, UK and Norway) as well as African Union, European Union, China and the United Nations.
(ST)