The Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism says its team has been denied access to Wau Shilluk in Central Upper Nile State by government soldiers.

CTSAMM says it had planned and coordinated a patrol to Wau Shilluk to be executed on the February 10.

Due to a mortar attack in the area on the same day, the patrol was postponed to Thursday, February 16.

“However later that morning, the MVT was denied freedom of movement while trying to reach Wau Shilluk when the SPLA 2nd Division Command informed the MVT that their mission scheduled for Wau Shilluk was canceled,” partly reads a statement.

The statement says the team was still waiting for access to be given to reach Wau Shilluk.

CTSSAM condemned, “in the strongest terms, the denial of freedom of movement” for the monitors.

The team is allowed to access the area under the peace agreement.

It called on the government to intervene to ensure the monitors can visit Wau Shilluk to conduct its mission.

In response, the army spokesperson Brigadier General says the decision to deny the CTSAMM’s monitoring team was a precautionary measure to safeguard them from harm.

“The security environment was not conducive for them to conduct their foot patrol,” Brig Ruai told Eye Radio this evening. “Their presence would really compromise the protection measures we have put in place.”

“Giving permission is one thing, but assessing the situation and realizing that it does not permit [is another]… They should also respect the reality,” he said.

Lul Ruai says once the security situation improves the monitoring and verification team will be allowed to access Wau shilluk.

Last week, the UNMISS accused the SPLA of preventing peacekeepers from entering the area, which has witnessed renewed violence. About 20,000 thousand are said to have been displaced from the area.

UNMISS boss said lack of information about the displaced civilians on the west bank of the Nile in the north of the country was a “real problem.”

But the army rejected the accusation and blamed it on a lack of “prior notification”.