The Council of Ministers of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development or IGAD says it is disappointed over the failure of South Sudan government and the opposition to investigate reports of violations of the Cessation of Hostilities agreement.
In a letter issued on Tuesday, the regional body’s Council of Ministers said it is discouraged to learn that violations still continue in some parts of the country.
South Sudan’s warring parties signed this peace agreement in late December last year in Addis Ababa with the aim of ending the nearly five years of hostilities in the country.
South Sudan’s military spokesman Brigadier General Lul Ruai Koang claims the SPLA has nothing to report because its forces, have not committed any violations.
‘If IGAD has a proof beyond all reasonable doubt that there are individual commanders in the SPLA who have been in violation of the cessation of hostilities agreement, they should bring that to the attention of the political leadership for it to be addressed. But as far as I know, we have not violated the agreement as a national army and we also do not have individual commanders who have been involved in activities that violates the agreement’ He explained.
Ruai further accuses the armed opposition of violating the agreement and blames the monitoring body or CTSAMM for ignoring those violations.
‘Up to now CTSAMM has not said anything about the violations carried out by the rebels. Taking up new offensive positions, rearming, recruiting, cutting off some government controlled towns and re-encroaching on our defensive positions in places like Nassir, Waat, Pangak and Raja. And yet they have been quiet’ The army spokesman concluded.
Colonel Lam Paul Gabriel, the opposition deputy military spokesperson on the other hand, blames the government for attacking their positions in different parts of the country.
He stressed.
‘No, we are not violating. The government is doing this, of recent they attacked us around Morobo, and about a month ago, they attacked us close to Yei on Yei Maridi road’
Paul praised the monitors for doing their job but says it is wrong for CTSAMM to blame the warring parties without providing evidence to back their accusations.
‘We know we have not been offending the government, but we have been provoked and have to defend ourselves’. he added
IGAD says lack of action by both parties to investigate violations and hold perpetrators accountable is ”non-compliance” to Article 13 of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement. This article requires parties to abide by international best practices.
In Tuesday’s statement, IGAD’s Council of Ministers resolved ‘to take appropriate actions’ against any party that does not comply with measures against perpetrators who violate the agreement.
The monitoring body CTSAMM published a report on January 15 this year, saying SPLA personnel stole property including motorcycles and bicycles, food items and beddings from the people of BANGOLO in Mundiri, former Western Equatoria state while passing through the area in December 2017, which is regarded as a violation.
The report says all the evidence suggests that the clash was caused by SPLA troops who moved into areas dominated by the opposition loyal to former First Vice President Riek Machar.
CTSAMM also says the opposition forces attacked KOCH in former Unity state the same month last year despite the signing of the accord.