July 12th 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan’s army, the SPLA, on Thursday reiterated its commitment to the ceasefire agreement signed last month in Khartoum by President Kiir and SPLM-IO leader Dr. Riek Machar Teny denying any knowledge of fighting reported by the opposition.
The reiteration by the army came as opposition forces under Machar said in a statement on Tuesday and Thursday that government troops commanded by the incumbent President, Salva Kiir, have been attacking their territories for the last few days.
In a statement extended to the Nyamilepedia on Thursday, the spokesman of First Vice President Taban Deng Gai’s forces said the army (theirs and the SPLA) is committed to the permanent ceasefire agreement signed by their commander Salva Kiir in Khartoum last month.
“The leadership of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army would like to inform the people of South Sudan, the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC), the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the international community that the SPLA is committed to the full implementation of the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (ARCISS) because as a National army to this agreement, the SPLA forces are obliged to “refrain from prohibited actions outlined in the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement and recent ceasefire signed in Khartoum, Sudan including “acts of hostility, intimidation and violence or attacks against the civilian population”, among others,” Gatluak said in the statement.
The statement denies any knowledge of military confrontation between the army and the opposition group; a claim that also contradicted reports from residents contacted by the Nyamilepedia on Wednesday.
“It is for this reason that the Sudan People’s Liberation Army would also like to inform the public that there was absolutely no such military Confrontations against opposition forces.Our forces are in full control under one command,” the statement further said.
The statement further said the army is surprised about the ongoing media warfare by the SPLA-IO deputy spokesman, Lam Paul Gabriel, who has been reporting of a armed fighting in the former Central Equatoria state.
“I am so surprised to learn through online publications that Mr. Gabriel [SPLA-IO Deputy Spokesman] is still propagandizing for war and more bloodshed while the nation’s is at the peace process .To me the ongoing efforts to bridge the gaps between president Kiir and Machar is the reward ever offered by the IGAD and international community,” the statement said.
The statement urged the SPLA-IO Deputy Spokesman to cease the media warfare so as to grand conducive environment to the leaders who are trying their best to agree so as to bring peace to the country saying the more the media conflict, the more the attention is diverted from positive decision making.
“I do urge comrade Paul to lower his voice from the media to give a conducive political atmosphere for our leaders at the talks to quickly find solutions for this problems, ending the suffering for our beloved people.The more we negatively reports on media,the more we divert their attention for positive decision making at the talks, the statement further said.
