Opposition urges peace parties to act as ceasefire violations persist

By Kidega Livingstone

Members of the opposition parties signatory to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) have raised concern over continued violations of the permanent ceasefire and security arrangements across the country, warning that the situation could undermine public confidence ahead of the December 2026 general elections.

The opposition representatives described the repeated violations as becoming “monotonous” and called on all parties to the peace agreement to demonstrate political will, strengthen implementation of the agreement and take concrete measures to protect civilians.

The concerns were raised on Tuesday during a technical meeting of the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) in Juba.

Speaking during the meeting, SPLA-IO representative General Andrea Mangu said opposition parties were ready to discuss reported violations but stressed that the continued incidents should prompt the parties to focus on finding lasting solutions rather than repeatedly documenting violations.

“All the violations we heard from the report by the Chairperson, we are ready for discussion, but the violations are becoming monotonous. We should not only talk about the violations; it is time to talk about how we can develop our country,” Gen. Mangu said.

He condemned the reported killing of civilians and called for greater protection of communities.

“It is unfortunate that the violations are still taking place. The killing of eight civilians by the police at the Protection of Civilians site in Bentiu is something I seriously condemn. That should not happen,” he added.

Meanwhile, the representative of political detainees, Major General Bior Leek Kuareng, said sustainable peace would require political inclusivity, freedom of political participation, dialogue and trust among the parties to the peace agreement.

He urged all signatories to demonstrate political will and return to the negotiating table to address outstanding political and security issues.

“There is now a serious increase in armed looting on the roads and civilians are panicking. What has been presented by CTSAMVM shows that killings and looting on the roads have intensified, and the government should facilitate protection for civilians,” Maj. Gen. Bior said.

South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) representative Ywodo John also warned that the security environment remained fragile and could pose challenges to the conduct of peaceful elections if violations are not addressed.

He attributed some of the insecurity to the continued presence of multiple armed forces and called for the completion of the transitional security arrangements, including the unification of forces.

“The rampant looting, robbery and killing on the roads are partly a result of having many forces instead of one unified force. Once you have one unified force, it will be more secure and our people will be safe,” Ywodo said.

The CTSAMVM Chairperson, Major General Hailu Endashaw, said the mechanism had considered reported violations involving the killing of civilians, restrictions on freedom of movement and armed confrontation in Nasir County on May 5, 2026.

He also cited an alleged SPLA-IO/NAS attack on SSPDF personnel in Makpandu and the killing of a football coach in Yambio, Western Equatoria State, among incidents considered in the reporting process.

Maj. Gen. Hailu said the reported incidents demonstrated that important provisions of the Revitalized Peace Agreement continued to be violated and reaffirmed the need for all parties to remain committed to the permanent ceasefire and transitional security arrangements.

“This report demonstrates that important provisions of the Revitalized Peace Agreement continue to be violated and reaffirms the need for sustained commitment by all the parties to fully implement the permanent ceasefire and transitional security arrangements,” he said.

The latest concerns come as South Sudan prepares for its planned general elections in December 2026. Political and security stakeholders have repeatedly stressed that improved security, political dialogue and public confidence will be critical to creating an environment conducive to credible and peaceful elections.

The opposition representatives said addressing ceasefire violations, protecting civilians and completing the transitional security arrangements should therefore remain a priority for all parties to the peace agreement.