Speaking during the monthly technical committee meeting in Juba on Thursday, Maj. Gen. Teshome Anagawe Ayana, Chairperson of the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM), highlighted persistent challenges in enforcing the ceasefire, noting that sporadic clashes between rival forces have been recorded in several parts of the country.
“The security situation has unfortunately not totally improved since. The implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (RARCSS) 2018 remains unstable,” Anagawe said.
He said progress in implementing critical aspects of the agreement has been uneven, raising concerns about the country’s transition toward lasting peace and stability.
“We have received an allegation from Bagari Payam in Wau County indicating that, at the end of March 2026, armed groups launched an attack targeting a cattle camp; five SPLM/A-IO soldiers lost their lives during the attack while defending the cattle camp,” he said.
He said ceasefire monitors recorded 35 new allegations of ceasefire violations in March, underscoring persistent challenges in enforcing the terms of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement.
“More importantly, the nature of these violations has become increasingly severe. Recent incidents involve high-intensity clashes with a high number of fatalities, as well as the forceful seizure of territory.”
He said the Monitoring and Verification Team (MVT) in Malakal conducted a Long-Duration Air Patrol (LDAP) to Abiemnom County in the Ruweng Administrative Area and to Bentiu from 10 to 15 April 2026 to investigate an armed attack on the Abiemnom County headquarters that resulted in the mass killing of civilians, including county officials.
“MVT Wau similarly carried out a Long Duration Patrol (LDP) to Aweil County in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State from 13 to 17 April 2026 to ascertain the security situation in the county.”
“MVT Juba is scheduled to conduct a Long Duration Air Patrol (LDAP) to Western Equatoria State from 18 to 22 May 2026 to investigate alleged ceasefire violations that were reported from Makpandu in Yambio County,” he said.
He said that on 16 April 2026, a ceasefire monitoring delegation held discussions with the leadership of the Joint Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JVMM) and peacekeeping operations to enhance coordination and cooperation.
“Their discussion focused on facilitating movement clearance for CTSAMVM teams and securing blanket authorisation for operations, thereby improving responsiveness to reported ceasefire violations.”
The 2018 accord, signed by the government under Salva Kiir Mayardit and opposition factions aligned with Riek Machar, was intended to end years of civil war and set the country on a path toward democratic transition.
