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UNMISS repeats call for unification of forces to avert military clashes

Author: Baria Johnson | Published: January 16, 2025

Nicholas Haysom, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and head of UNMISS during a press conference on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 | Courtesy of UNMISS

The UN Mission in South Sudan expresses concerns over recent military confrontation between units of the national army and SPLA-IO in Western Equatoria and calls for national government intervention.

On January 11, army spokesperson Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai said SPLA-IO troops attacked an SSPDF Infantry brigade tasked to dismantle illegal checkpoints between Western Equatoria and Western Bahr El Gazal states.

Meanwhile, SPLA-IO spokesperson Col. Lam Paul Gabriel denied his colleague’s narrative, arguing instead that the violence occurred as a result of an attack by the army on their position outside Kubri-Bou.

In a statement on January 16, UNMISS expressed deep concerns on report of clashes which it says have resulted in civilian casualties and displacement.

The peacekeeping mission calls for intervention from the highest levels of government to prevent further deterioration of the security situation following several violent incidents.

It added that the incident highlights the urgent need for unification of the deployment of all armed forces of the peace parties in the country.

“UNMISS calls for intervention from the highest levels of Government to prevent further deterioration of the security situation following several violent incidents in the areas around Nagero in recent days,” says the statement read out by UNMISS Chief of Communication Francesca Mold.

“We call on all military actors to refrain from conflict and resolve tensions through dialogue. This incident also highlights the need to urgently progress the deployment of Necessary Unified Forces across the country.”

For his part, the Commissioner of Nagero County Henry Banga said the situation is volatile and almost all the civil population of the area have fled their homes to seek safety in the bushes.

Mr. Banga urged the national government to quickly intervene and address the situation in the area.

“The situation in Nagero is still in the same because the conflict in Bou is still continuing between IO forces and SSPDF.”

“As I am talking to you, all the people of Nagero are displaced. I do not know the real number but all the civilians of Nagero they have ran to the bush and they are very scared.”

“My message to the leadership of the state government is that I need their intervention quickly on what is happening and to the national government is that I need peace and let them send the delegation fast.”

On January 12, a human rights activist has appealed to the Presidency to urgently initiate the unification and deployment of armed forces of the peace parties and ensure strict cantonment to prevent further violence.

Bol Deng Bol, Executive Director of INTREPID South Sudan and also the Chairperson of Jonglei Civil Society Network, said unifying the forces is the only solution to the intermittent violence involving factions of the peace parties across the country.

“I want to urge the leadership of the country to ensure there’s a strict cantonments of all the forces that are supposed to be in cantonments,” he said.

Mr. Deng underscored that the 2018 peace agreement stipulates the training, graduation and deployment of 83,000 forces to ensure a peaceful environment for constitution-making and elections to take place.

“There is a need for this cantonments as we speak to prevent violence in Western Equatoria among the peace partners, those armed groups.”

“It is very, very important that this is put in place. And together with it, there is a need to complete the unification of all the forces that are not unified so far. This is to enhance accountability and proper control of this particular force.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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