Gen. Cirilo says S. Sudan army attacking him

March 21, 2020 News, Newsbeat

Thomas Cirillo Swaka, chairman of the NAS faction that still at large(Photo credit: social media)

March 21, 2020 (SSNN) — South Sudan’s holdout opposition leader Gen. Thomas Cirilo said on Friday that government forces are planning an attack against his forces in violation to the cessation of hostility agreement signed in 2017.

Gen. Cirilo who leads the National Salvation Front (NAS) is not a signatory to the revitalized peace agreement which was signed by most rebel groups and the government of South Sudan more than a year ago to end the ongoing civil war.

He he said at the time that he was pullingn out of talks because of government “monopoly” of the peace process and that the peace deal did not address the root causes of the civil war.

In a statement on Friday, Suba Samuel Manase, the spokesman of NAS government forces were preparing to attack their position in some part of Central Equatoria.

“The leadership of NAS would like to inform its members, supporters , the people of South Sudan and the members of international community about the new planned SSPDF military offensive on NAS positions in Central Equatoria State,” Manase said in the statement seen by South Sudan News Now.

“On 19th March 2020, the SSPDFforces supported by the three (3) Land-Crushers pick-up vehicles , One (1) Ural Lorry and One (1) Anti-Personnel Carrier (APC) deliberately advanced towards NAS positions in Loka and Mukaya area respectively ; the forces still maintain a hostile presence in these locations poised for confrontation.

“This Morning of 20th March , a full battalion of the SSPDF arrived from Juba reinforcing the bases in Lainya, Loka and Mukaya. This unprovoked military activity of SSPDF amounts to a serious violations of cession of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA).

“The NAS military command in area is closely monitored the situation and will fight back in self-defense if attacked.

“These hostile and unprovoked military activities are serious violations to CoHA, NAS therefore calls upon the community of San’t Egidio and the members of international community to address these on-going violations.

“NAS is committed to CoHA signed on 21 st of December 2017 in Addis Ababa Ethiopia and to the Rome declaration on the recommitment to CoHA signed on 20th January 2020 in Rome Italy. However , NAS reserves rights to self-defense.”