South Sudan’s JMEC calls for sanctions on ceasefire violators

January 27, 2018 (JUBA) – The chairman of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) has called to sanction the violators of the cessation of hostilities agreement pointing that the humanitarian situation has seen little improvement.

President Festus Mogae made his call in a speech he delivered before the IGAD Council of Ministers on Saturday 27 January in Addis Ababa as they gathered to discuss the revitalization process before its resumption next February.

He told the meeting that several violations had been reported in Central Equatoria, Unity, Jonglei and Upper Nile States, causing further displacement of civilians. He added that the ceasefire body CTSAMM blamed the SPLA-IO (Machar) and SPLA-IG respectively” for the violence in Koch and Mundri as an investigation into other clashes still going on.

“For the revitalisation process to be successful there must be a clear understanding among all South Sudanese leaders of the consequences of non-compliance and the determination of IGAD to ensure that agreements are complied with,” said Mogae

He recalled that the cessation of hostilities agreement provides JMEC chairperson has to report serious breaches to the government, IGAD, AU Peace and Security Council and UN Security Council for their action.

“It is now time to revisit the range of practical measures that can be applied in earnest to those who refuse to take this process seriously. We must, with one voice, make clear the consequences to be faced by those who willfully violate, spoil or derail the Peace Agreement,” he emphasized.

SPLM-IO WELCOMES

In reaction to Mogae’s call for sanctions, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement In Opposition led by the former First Vice President Riek Machar has welcomed called to sanction ceasefire violators by the head of peace monitoring body (JMEC) but asked for a credible investigation to identify the responsible.

“The SPLA IO welcomes the call for sanctions by the head of JMEC on violations of the CoH Agreement signed on 21/12/2017,” said SPLM-IO Machar spokesperson Lam Paul Gabriel in a statement released on Saturday night.

“However, there should be a proper investigation and fairness to identify those responsible,” he further stressed.

The rebel official however denied any responsibility for his group in the fighting in Koch and Mundri, pointing that the violence was provoked by the government troops.

Gabriel further reminded that the government still did not release the prisoners of war and political detainees and they did free them on 7 January 2018.

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION

President Mogae informed the meeting that the humanitarian situation ” has seen very little improvement in recent months”.

He said the number of war-affected people who fled their areas of origin to other regions or outside the country remains at 4.1 million.

” UN-OCHA estimates that food shortages will leave around 5.1 million people unable to feed themselves properly by April,” he added.

Also, he said the aid workers continue to face difficulties to reach civilians despite a presidential decree ordering to facilitate the humanitarian access.

“In 2017 in South Sudan, there were 1,159 recorded humanitarian access incidents and 28 aid workers were killed,” he said.

(ST)