An SSPDF vehicle carrying forces during one of its missions. Photo credit: Courtesy

An activist has called on the presidency to convene an urgent meeting to address concerns of ceasefire violations in the Upper Nile region.

Edmond Yakani who heads the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization says the 2018 peace deal risks collapsing due to the continuous violence and defections among the parties.

His call comes after the peace monitoring body on Monday adjourned a meeting after SPLM-IO members walked out from a meeting room.

The IO representatives had complained of pro-SPLM-IG forces attacking their bases in Miiriir in Unity state and Maiwut County of Upper Nile state.

Edmond Yakani now appeals to the commanders in chiefs to summon their field commanders particularly in the Upper Nile region and hold them to account.

“I am calling on the members of the presidency to call for an urgent meeting and summon those field commanders that are actively engaged in combat in some part of Upper Nile State between SSPDF and the SPLA.IO and those responsible for the violation should be held accountable immediately without any compromise or favor”, Edmond Yakani told Eye Radio on Tuesday.

Last month, the Ceasefire Monitoring body reported an increase in armed conflict in parts of Upper Nile and Unity state between the rival forces.

It warned that the violations by SSPDF and SPLA-IO forces remained a threat to the 2018 peace agreement.
According to Yakani, failure by the presidency to act now, will escalate the situation.

This Yakani believes; “without the respect of the chapter two provision of the revitalized agreement the agreement by itself will die automatically and remember this are the same example of the first version of the agreement when it was signed in 2015, the violation of cease fire started slowly until it end up in J1 leading to the death and collapsed of that agreement.”

“So this violation is going on and the top leadership of the country is remaining silent. The chances are that before we can reach the lifespan of the agreement may collapse”, Yakani warned.