S. African leaders call for end to S. Sudan violence
July 12, 2016 (KAMPALA) – South African Deputy President, Cyril Ramaphosa has joined President Jacob Zuma and the international community in expressing serious concerns regarding the recent outbreak of violence in South Sudan between the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and the country’s armed opposition forces (SPLA-IO).
“We know and know too well the burden of pain and sorrow that war has brought to bear upon the majority of the people of South Sudan over the past few years. We call on the leadership of South Sudan to take the necessary steps to end the current conflict and to ensure the country remains on course towards the consolidation of the hard-won peace”, he added.
Ramaphosa is the special envoy of President Zuma to the world’s youngest nation.
He welcomed the resolution of the Extra-Ordinary Session of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Council of Ministers held on 11 July in Nairobi, Kenya for an immediate ceasefire and the call on President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar to assume their responsibility and to take immediate measures to prevail upon their respective military leaders and to end the fighting.
CEASEFIRE DECLARATION
The rival leaders in the South Sudanese conflict unilaterally declared cessation of hostilities to end four days of fighting between their forces in Juba on Monday.
Hundreds of soldiers have been killed on both sides for the cause none of the two leaders could explain. On Monday, however, probably in response to the mounting pressure from the international community, the two leaders agreed to a ceasefire.
“In exercise of powers conferred upon me under Chapter 1, Clause 5.2.1 read together with Chapter 2, Clause 1.3 of the Agreement of the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan, August 2015, I, Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan, Commander-in-Chief of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and Supreme Commander of all other Regular Forces, do hereby issue this Republic Order for Declaration of Cessation of Hostilities between the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO”, partly stated President Kiir’s decree read on the state-owned television.
Kiir, in the decree, ordered all government forces to return to their units and barracks.
The order also gave all the government forces up to midday on Tuesday to cease hostilities, stop roaming the streets while carrying military weapons and in uniforms, and return immediately to their barracks of face serious measures if they failed to comply.
(ST)