JUBA – The Interim Chairperson of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC), Maj. Gen. (Rtd.) George Aggrey Owinow, on Monday called on the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) and Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in Opposition (SPLA-IO) to immediately cease all hostilities and fully comply with the Permanent Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements.
The heavy fighting that erupted last week morning between SPLA-IO and SSPDF in Yei River County has left at least 17 soldiers dead.
The deadly violence occurred after the Joint Force of the SPLA-IO and NAS-TC launched offensive attacks on the SSPDF bases in Lasu and Libogo.
In a speech delivered virtually to the United Nations Security Council on Monday, George Aggrey stressed the importance of both army commands urgently adhering to the Permanent Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements.
“There have also been reports of violent armed clashes between SSPDF and SPLM/A-IO, including with their affiliate groups and forces in different parts of the country. The Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF), on a bilateral arrangement, have also deployed into the country, a move contested by some parties to the R-ARCSS.”
Gen. Aggrey called on the two factions to refrain from acts of violence and consider all possible measures to hold peace spoilers and violators of the 2018 peace deal accountable.
A retired Kenyan general said that renewed violence, including recent aerial bombardments of SPLM/A-IO-occupied areas by the SSPDF, cantonment areas, and training centers, violates the permanent ceasefire agreement.
“RJMEC would like to remind this esteemed Council that the R-ARCSS, despite its challenges, has restored relative peace across the country, bringing numerous peace dividends since its signing in September 2018,” it said.
“It remains a blueprint for building lasting peace and stability in the country. It would be tragic if the gains of the R-ARCSS to date were lost beyond restoration.”
He appealed to the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) to leverage its influence to salvage the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement.
“The current situation and trajectory in the country, if not urgently addressed, risk reversing all that has been achieved and may lead to a collapse of the R-ARCSS, potentially returning the country to armed conflict.”
