South Sudan army ‘not’ behind human rights violations in Central Equatoria
File: Members of South Sudan’s army in a pick-up vehicle
April 1, 2020 (SSNN) – South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) denied on Tuesday that its members were behind the alleged continuation of human rights violation in the country’s Central Equatoria state.
Over the weekend, holdout opposition group, National Salvation Front (NAS) led by the country’s former deputy chief of staff General Thomas Cirilo Swaka said South Sudan army has continued to carryout attacks against civilians in several parts of the country’s Central Equatoria state.
Speaking to South Sudan News Now in an exclusive interview on Tuesday, South Sudan army spokesman Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang denied the accusation and instead said NAS was responsible for attacking civilians in several areas in Yei River state.
“We are not behind any attack in Yei River County. The National Salvation Front (NAS) of General Thomas Cirilo is behind those violations,” Lul said.
“Since the signing of the Rome recommitment to the 2017 ceasefire agreement, government forces were in their positions and were instructed to act in case of self-defense,” Lul said.
South Sudan government and several opposition groups signed a revitalized peace agreement in September 2018. Other armed groups including the National Salvation Front (NAS) decided to reject the signing of the revitalized peace agreement on the account that the government was monopolizing the talks and as such, root causes of the peace conflict were not addressed.
A unity government has been formed and with the signatories to the revitalized agreement but ceasefire violations have continued in parts of the country including Central and Western Equatoria states.
Talks in Rome were suspended last month after the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. Italy where the talks were being held has become the epicenter of the pandemic with almost 100,000 cases and more than 10,000 deaths leading to the postponement of the talks.
Lul further reiterated that the government was committed to the 2017 Cessation of Hostility Agreement (CoHA) as recommitted to in February in Rome.
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