US Ambassador to South Sudan, Thomas Hushek speaks on Eye Radio, February 2019 | Joakino Francis

The US Ambassador to South Sudan has echoed calls on parties engaged in military confrontation in Yei River State to refrain from violence.

Ambassador Thomas Hushek said the renewed fighting has the potential to derail the peace process.

“On the military side, this continued fighting down in Yei is a big threat to the peace process. It has the potential to derail the peace process,” he said.

Fighting first erupted in some parts of the state last month between government forces and forces loyal to General Thomas Cirilo and displaced thousands of people internally and to the neighbouring DR Congo.

In December 2017, Gen Thomas Cirilo signed the Ceassation of Hostilities Agreement, but then abstained from signing the revitalised agreement last September, saying the new arrangement does not address all the root causes of the conflict.

‘I call on both sides to really pull back from those lines and stop that fighting,” appealed the diplomat.

Amb. Hushek appealed to the parties to resolve their political differences through non-military means.

“Conflicts do exist, political differences exist but in this peace era, they have to be dealt with non-militarily.”

Ambassador Thomas Hushek spoke in an exclusive interview with Eye Radio on Monday.