Regional bodies, RJMEC urge calm in Upper Nile, Western Bahr el Ghazal states
February 27, 2025 (JUBA) – 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) are gravely concerned about ongoing tensions in Upper Nile state.
The bodies also expressed concerns about clashes involving forces of the signatory parties to the September 2018 peace deal in Western Equatoria and Western Bahr el Ghazal states.
In a joint statement extended to Sudan Tribune, the AUMISS, IGAD, UNMISS and RJMEC specifically urged the parties to urgently work together through the established mechanisms of the R-ARCSS to de-escalate the situation in order 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 in particular, has significantly deteriorated in past weeks. This has been heightened by the ongoing rotation of forces in Nasir, raising concerns about the likelihood of widespread violence.
“[The] AUMISS, IGAD, UNMISS and RJMEC, therefore, call upon the leadership of the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU) and the Joint Defence Board (JDB) to work collegially, and swiftly remedy the persistent security concerns in all the three states,” partly reads the statement.
It adds, “We caution that if left unaddressed, these incidents could potentially undermine the Permanent Ceasefire, which remains the cornerstone of the Revitalized Peace Agreement”.
The joint statement 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 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.
The security situation in Upper Nile State has been particularly volatile since mid-February, following clashes between the army (SSPDF) and the White Army in Nasir County. Reports also indicate that in Western Bahr el Ghazal, a combined force of the SSPDF and the National Security Service launched attacks on villages in Jur River County on January 15, displacing several civilians.
(ST)