August 5th 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) under the leadership of the country’s former first vice president Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon have accused government troops of violating peace deal in Western Bahr Al-Ghazal.
The violation come just hours before President Salva Kiir, and opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon sign a peace agreement in the Sudanese capital Khartoum.
In a statement extended to the Nyamilepedia on Saturday, the former SPLM-IO governor of Wau State and a member of the group’s political bureau, Dominic Ukello said the government troops are intensifying their violation of the agreement in Western Bahr Al-Ghazal region.
“Although the signing of the 21 December 2017 Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities and the permanent ceasefire on June 2018, by all warring parties in the Republic of South Sudan, unfortunately the Government troops intensified its offensives in the Western Bahr Al-Ghazal WBG region and some part of Equatoria region,” he said in the statement.
He said the violations raises concerns about the commitment of the government to the permanent ceasefire agreement signed last June in the Sudanese capital Khartoum by President Kiir and the opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon.
“The aggression by the government troops in the WBG region raised a serious question about the benefit of the ceasefire agreement and the current peace negotiation in the capital of Sudan, Khartoum, for searching of lasting peace in the country,” the statement said questioning that “One may ask what is the government’s real intention of waging daily attacks on the positions of Lion Forces during on going peace negotiation.”
He said government attack on Bagari Payam on June 26 led to the death of several civilians pointing out that the troops burned and looted houses among other violations against human rights.
“On 26 June 2017 an attack by the government troops on civilians in Ongo Baggari and Ngisa, where government troops killed, burned civilian houses, and looted their properties On 27 June 2018 and July 6, 2018 the government troops initiated multiple attacks on Lion Forces position in the Ngo Khaki area, where they used heavy artillery to chase away Lion Forces, in order to rape, kill, loot and destroy civilian properties,” he further said in the statement.
