Cabinet Affairs Minister Dr Martin Elia Lomoro has described as miscommunication the blocking of ceasefire and transitional security monitors from going to Yei.

The SPLA spokesperson, Brig Lul Ruai Koang, told Eye Radio Tuesday that the monitors were blocked at a checkpoint while leaving Juba because they did not notify the army of their intention to travel.

The monitors said they notified the government since 1 November that they would like to conduct an assessment in the town and were given assurances about access.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the monitors said the blocking was a restriction of their freedom of movement.

However, Dr Elia said the government was informed on a short notice.

“On that Friday, UNMISS brought a request to travel to Yei at 4 o’clock by 6 o’clock our officer has signed the document and took to operations and found nobody at the operations,” he explained.

“And with Saturday and Sunday being a weekend, nobody had the ability to inform the units along Juba-Yei road about the intention of UNMISS to go to Yei.”

The ceasefire monitors, under CTSAMM (Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism) use UNMISS vehicles to travel to various locations in the country.

CTSAMM is an impartial, neutral body mandated to monitor the implementation of the Permanent Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements (PCTSA) as laid out in the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS).