South Sudanese forces attack ceasefire monitors: CTSAMVM
December 19, 2018 (JUBA) – The Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) said Wednesday that the government forces assaulted a four-members monitoring team in Luri area of Jubek state of Central Equatoria region.
Luri, which is located 10 km north of Juba, is hosting a training centre of the National Security Service (NSS).
In a report to the Chairperson of IGAD Council of Ministers, seen by Sudan Tribune the ceasefire monitoring body said the government forces assaulted and illegally detained senior ranking male and female officers and support personnel from IGAD guarantor nations, on Tuesday 18 December.
“A CTSAMVM Monitoring and Verification Team consisting of three international observers and one driver was restricted from accessing the Luri Training Centre and detained for more than 4 hours,” read the report signed by the Chairman CTSAMVM Major General Desta Abiche Ageno.
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According to the report, a female colonel from the Ethiopian army was forced to remove all her clothing and remain completely naked. A Sudanese army colonel and Kenyan army major were also forced to strip their clothes.
The ceasefire monitors further said that the 10 men who perpetrated the assault deprived team members of their money and items including a silver wedding ring and threatened to kill the team driver for having transported the team to the Luri training facility.
In a separate statement on the assault, CTSAMVM condemned in “the strongest terms the appalling attack” on its monitoring team. It also said they launched a full investigation into the events.
“CTSAMVM further demands that TGoNU immediately conduct an investigation holding perpetrators accountable for these despicable acts and their chain of command responsible for its utter failure of leadership,” said the statement.
The incident highlights the indiscipline of the ill-trained and poorly educated or illiterate government soldiers.
The attack was condemned by the British Special Envoy for South Sudan Chris Trott in a tweet he posted on Wednesday.
“It is unacceptable that any signatory of the R-ARCSS should obstruct CTSAMM_South Sudan in this way. Parties need to be building trust not destroying it,” he said.
Also, the assault was condemned by the holdout People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) led by Hakim Dario who denounced the impunity of the government soldiers.
The “PDM on behalf of the oppressed people of South Sudan, condemns in the strongest words possible the criminal assault and inhumanely deliberate acts of humiliation on CTSAMVM members”
“PDM and the people of South Sudan are ashamed of and outraged by President Kiir’s criminal gangs continuing atrocities for which there are no words befitting description of the height of their sense of impunity in South Sudan while the world watches on doing nothing about it,” he added.
There are some 12 teams composed of international monitors located in the affected areas of South Sudan tasked with verifying the compliance by the parties and armed groups to the cessation of hostilities and ceasefire agreement.
(ST)