JUBA – The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) has called on the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) to launch an investigation into the indiscriminate bombing conducted in Old Fangak in Jonglei State on Saturday.
On Saturday, the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), Old Fangak county, came under military aerial bombing on Saturday morning, which targeted a hospital run by medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) was destroyed, causing extensive damage and resulting in four deaths, including a nine-month-old child, and 25 injuries.
“Around 4:30 a.m. today [Saturday], helicopter gunships dropped a bomb on our MSF pharmacy and fired on the town for 30 minutes. Later, a drone bombed the market,” read a statement by MSF South Sudan.
The aerial bombing followed a threat by SSPDF on Friday that the army could attack the area over commercial boats allegedly seized by the White Army and members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO).
The peace monitoring body has demanded an urgent investigation in a statement released Sunday, urging both SSPDF and SPLA-IO to cooperate during the process.
“RJMEC urges the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) to expeditiously and thoroughly investigate the incident,” it said.
“The Commission further calls on the relevant authorities to ensure CTSAMVM is granted full support, safe, and unhindered access to the affected area to carry out its mandate effectively,” it added.
The commission further appealed to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) to provide logistical support to CTSAMVM to effectively and efficiently complete the investigation.
RJMEC also strongly condemns the attack, describing it as another escalation and a setback to the implementation of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), which has suffered from repeated gross violations in recent weeks.
The monitoring body reminded the parties to the agreement that the R-ARCSS explicitly prohibits any attacks on unarmed civilians and humanitarian agencies.
“Such violent actions not only breach the terms of the Agreement but also undermine ongoing efforts to build lasting peace and stability through constructive and inclusive political dialogue,” RJMEC added.
