SPLA-IO accuses South Sudanese army of fresh attacks in Yei state

March 16, 2018 (JUBA) – The South Sudan armed opposition group (SPLM-IO) led by the former First Vice President Riek Machar Friday accused the government army of breaching the ceasefire and killing one of their combatants.

Wayi Godwill Edward, the spokesperson of the SPLM-IO in Yei River State said government forces attacked on Thursday 15 March their positions at Kirinya village of Yugufe Boma and Lujulo Payam in Morobo County.

He said that the assailants killed an SPLA-IO fighter, adding ” However, our forces repulsed the attackers and pursued them inside their confinement in Morobo center with dozens wounded”.

The warring parties in South Sudan signed a cessation of hostilities agreement on 21 December 2017, but regularly they trade accusations on repeated violations of the truce.

The ceasefire is designed to create a conducive environment for the revitalization forum in Addis Ababa but also to allow aid workers to reach civilians affected by the violence that erupted four years ago.

Edward claimed that the same village had been attacked on Wednesday 14 March by the South Sudanese army.

The SPLA “injured one civilian named Cypress Amale Yotoma Ada on the arm (now amputated), looted civilians’ property and caused massive displacement of civilians,” he stressed.

The rebel official further called on the ceasefire monitoring body, CTSAMM, to condemn Juba government for “continually violating the CoH Agreement in protest against the genuine national and global effort through the HLRF to pursue lasting peace in South Sudan”.

(ST)