Mayom fighting may jeopardize peace process, parliament warns

JUBA – South Sudan parliament on Wednesday expressed concerns over the escalating violence in Mayom County of Unity State which begun on July 19 when a SSPDF contingent attacked a rebel hideout killing at least two soldiers.

The frontline then collapsed into Mayom two resulting in an overnight fight that has since killed at least 12 people including the county commissioner Maj. Gen. Chuol Gatluak Manimeh.

Speaking during a parliamentary sitting in Juba on Wednesday, the first deputy speaker of the council of states Mary Ayen said the parliament is concerned by the reports of fighting in Mayom and warned that the violence may jeopardize the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement.

“I want to communicate to the house and the public as well that the National Legislature is very much concern about the escalating number of cases of violence that we are following around the country,” Ayen said during the session.

“That is very unfortunate and as the legislature, we are very concern and we condemn this spirit that is actually that is not supporting the implementation of the peace agreement and co-existence of people,” the top lawmaker added.

Ayen said the members of the legislature will try their best to stop the violence from escalating further.

“We will continue as members of legislature and representative of the people also to do the best we can do to make sure this situation of violence shouldn’t continue,” she said.

She called upon the communities to embrace peaceful co-existence among themselves.

“There is no reason at all to continue losing innocent lives while the leadership of the nation and H.E the President is calling for peaceful co-existence and full implementation of this agreement,” she said.