The cyclic and nagging Tombura County conflict that has claimed tens of lives and displaced thousands of people could jeopardise the implementation of the 2018 Revitalised Peace Agreement if left unabated.

This is the finding from the assessment by a multi-agency team that visited the county to assess the triggers of the conflicts and the potential remedies to the situation over the weekend.

The peace monitoring team made recommendations to the national and state governments urging them to take responsibility for ending conflicts that have plagued Western Equatoria State.

This was a joint delegation of international partners including the Intergovernmental Authority on Development [IGAD], Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission [RJMEC], and members of the diplomatic mission that visited Tombura last Friday.

‘‘The delegation concluded that unless urgent action is taken by the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU) to end the fighting, there is an imminent risk that further escalation will endanger vulnerable populations, exacerbate the dire humanitarian situation, and threaten the successful implementation of the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan,’’ they stated in a press release circulated by United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) yesterday.

The delegation said after the assessment on the triggers of the violence,  it became “clear that it could only be addressed through full implementation of the agreement and most urgently the unification of the forces and their deployment.”

They lamented the situation in Tombura saying it creates fear unless urgent action was taken by the government to end the fighting.

They said there is an urgent need for the separation of forces and to undertake dialogue and reconciliation between the communities to Tombura.

The delegation appealed for local authorities and community leaders to ensure the safety and security of humanitarian workers so that life-saving assistance can resume in earnest.

Investigation commences

They said the protection of civilians and the support to internally displaced persons is first and foremost the responsibility of the government.  

They noted: ‘‘The protection of civilians and support to internally displaced people is first and foremost the responsibility of the Government. However, the delegation will continue to support the Government and people of South Sudan, including through capacity-building of rule of law institutions.’’

Recently, the presidency formed a committee to investigate the fighting in Tombura through the Joint Defense Board led by Lt.Gen. Wesly Welebe.  For this, the joint team noted that it ‘‘looks forward to the government’s implementation of its recommendations, especially the removal of fighting forces from the area and the recall to Juba of leaders of the various factions’’.

The protracted conflict in Tombura has led to the loss of several lives and over 80,000 people had been displaced to the neighbouring counties.

On Tuesday last week, the Ceasefire Transitional Security Arrangement Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM)  travel to Tombura County of Western Equatoria State to assess the security situation in the area.

The committee is currently in Tombura engaging parties to the conflict in the county and they are expected to implement the mandate given to them by Join Defense Board (JDB).

The committee is tasked to ensure the forces in Tombura and other areas under SSPDF Maj. Gen. James Nando are transferred to the Maridi training centre, according to the military spokesperson of SSPDF Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai.

He said they will also talk to the forces so that they maintain peace and security to ensure they remain united while at the training centre.