By Ruot George
South Sudan Ceasefire Monitoring and Verification Mechanism –has postponed it’s monthly peace evaluation meeting.
Lt. General Asrate Denero, the chairperson of CTSSAMVM told reporters in Juba that the meeting was reportedly called off few minutes’ representation of the main armed opposition group, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition – SPLM/A – IO walked out of the meeting protesting the continues violation of the ceasefire. The body is tasked with monitoring the peace violations
General Denero said “for this accident, am sorry” adding “my suggestion is that all partis, we have a lot of challenges everywhere there is fighting and killing in East Africa, in Ethiopia, but we have to sit together around the table and find solution”.
General Denero said the meeting was adjourned and a new date was not scheduled.
A statement seen by Juba Echo quotes SPLA – IO military spokesperson Col. Lam Paul Gabriel saying “on 20/03/2022 at about 8:30am, SSPDF launched an aggressive simultaneous attack against the SPLA – IO positions of Jekow, Lolnyang, Wang Kuarbiy and Kwerkeam in clear violation of CoHA. These continuous intentional aggressions against the SPLA – IO do not only show lack of political will but also intent to take the country back to a full-scale war”.
Col. Lam called upon all their forces to remain calm while they find solutions to end the crisis in the country.
“The SPLA – IO calls upon all its forces to remain calm and vigilant during this period while it seeks the best possible solution to end this crisis”
South Sudanese peace partners signed a revitalized peace deal in 2018 to end war that has killed nearly 400,000 people and displacing more than 5 million into the refugees and internally displaced camps.
The unimplemented areas include, the unification of the necessary unified forces. Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-IO accused their partners the South Sudan People Defense Force of attacking their defensive position in Upper Nile State.