South Sudan monitors warn renewed clashes constitute threat to revitalized peace deal

JUBA – A South Sudan’s peace monitoring body has warned that ongoing violent conflicts in the country’s oil-rich Upper Nile state and some parts of Equatoria constitute an alarming threat to the revitalized peace agreement.

This comes less than a week after armed youth from neighboring Jonglei State’s Ayod and Fangak County attacked civilians in several villages of Panyikang and Fashoda including an IDP where thousands of civilians, according to local authorities, were killed on Wednesday.

Lt. Gen. Asrat Denero Amad, the chairperson of Ceasefire Transitional Security Arrangement Monitoring and verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) on Tuesday warned that continued clashes in Upper Nile State and fighting by the rebel National Salvation Front (NAS) constitute a threat to the peace implementation.

Speaking during the CTSAMVM Technical Committee meeting in Juba, Lt Gen Asrat Denero Amad, the Mechanism’s chairperson, said the amplified incidents of fighting might derail the peace process.

“There have been several reports allegedly involving NAS. CTSAMVM is very concerned about the risk that these incidents pose to the peace process,” he said during a meeting of the CTSAMVM Technical Committee meeting in Juba.

“CTSAMVM has continued to receive reports of fighting in Upper Nile State involving Agwelek forces, armed youths also called “white army”, Kit-Gwang forces, SPLM/A-IO, and the SSPDF.

“CTSAMVM MVT Malakal has provided an interim report based on the engagements made with different stakeholders,” he added.