US condemns S. Sudan army’s recent attack on rebel forces

April 11, 2015 (JUBA) – The United States has condemned recent attacks by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), which destroyed a declared armed opposition cantonment site at Numatina in the country’s Wau county.

This action, the US said in a statement, is in clear violation of the permanent ceasefire provisions that apply nationwide and were agreed to by all peace agreement signatories.

“We take note of credible reports that the opposition and associated armed actors have recently attacked government forces and civilians in the area,” Mark C. Toner, the deputy spokesperson for the US state department said.

“We condemn such actions, which also constitute a violation of the permanent ceasefire provisions. We call on the parties to provide access for the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM) to investigate the circumstances surrounding these incidents,” adds the statement issued on Monday.

The US urge all the warring parties to resolve disputes through dialogue, stressing that disputes related to ceasefire implementation and cantonment be referred to the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) and other relevant mechanisms outlined in the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan.

“There is no military solution to the conflicts in South Sudan. We call on all parties to fulfill their commitments to implement the provisions of the peace agreement in full,” it said.

The SPLA recently launched a large scale military operation against fighters of the country’s armed opposition (SPLM-IO) forces in the states of Bahr el Ghazal and Equatoria regions.

Analysts fear that lack of commitment to implement the deal by elements from the rival parties may ruin the peace process, coupled with continued violation of the ceasefire.

(ST)