South Sudan army denies report on ceasefire violation

January 17, 2018 (JUBA) – South Sudan army (SPLA) has denied reports from peace monitors that it was responsible for ceasefire violation, pushing blame on the armed opposition faction, which it said attempted truce as a way to mobilise and carry out activities.

“The reports you are talking about did not look at the context of what they are saying. Our forces have received clear instructions and orders from chief of defence force and these orders and instructions have been observed. It is the so called rebels, the anti-peace elements who carried out attacks in six different places and brought this to the attention of the monitors,” the military spokesman Brigadier General, Lul Ruai Koang told Sudan Tribune.

He added, “Our forces acted in self-defense. They never moved out from their positions from the ceasefire was signed and we received orders and directives from the command to comply”.

Koang was reacting to media reports accusing the two rival forces of having carried out attacks in violation of the ceasefire agreement in which their leaders are signatories to comply. The two rivals, Article 1(2) of the ceasefire agreement states, requires that all forces shall immediately freeze in their locations, except for movements authorized by the Cease-fire Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism for logistical and administrative purposes.

The ceasefire monitors were also supported by statements from the former political detainees, who considered the visit of the first vice president to Jonglei region as violation of the ceasefire agreement.

“That type of movement as per the cessation of hostilities agreement is a violation, said Kosti Manibe on behalf of the former detaineees.

The ex-political detainees accused country’s vice president of violations when he visited Jonglei in a convoy of government vehicles.

Manibe, a former finance minister, said Gai is visiting several areas in Jonglei and Upper Nile states with many soldiers who are well armed.

“He [Gail] moving in a huge convoy of the government soldiers who are well armed. That is why we specifically mentioned it”, he added.

The peace monitors said Tuesday that rebels loyal to former vice president Riek Machar attacked the village of Koch in the former Unity State during which three children were among those killed.

In a report, the monitors said witnesses and a rebel commander confirmed the attack allegedly in response to a cattle raid.

The monitors, however, called the attack a “clear and blatant violation” of the cessation-of-hostilities agreement that South Sudan government and rebel groups signed in Ethiopia on 21 December 2017.

(ST)