By Sheila Ponnie
The intercommunal violence which has dragged on for months in many parts of the country is throwing the permanent ceasefire arrangement in jeopardy, the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) has said.
CTSAMVM Chairperson Major General Teshome Gemechu Aderie expressed concern about the ongoing violence saying there was still ethnic tension in the Wau-Tonj area of Western Bahr El Ghazal.
During a technical committee meeting in Juba last week, Aderie explained that inter communal fights are also sweeping through Jonglei State, particularly Likuangole area.
“All these have the potential to jeopardize the permanent ceasefire and peace agreement and lose the hard-won gains achieved since the agreement was signed in 2018,” he said.
The meeting also focused on the status of the permanent ceasefire which remains largely intact with no verified clashes between the signatory parties to the ceasefire agreement.
However, the chairman says the National Salvation Alliance (NAS) under the leadership of Thomas Cirilo, a non-signatory to the agreement was causing instability after the group displaced hundreds in Lainya recently.
“The Frequency of the incidents involving NAS has increased and the geographical purview of their operation has also expanded,” he explained.
CTSAMVM also expressed concerns over the prevalence of sexual Gender-Based Violence in the capital Juba, Yei, Magwi, and Leer, acknowledging steps taken by the SSPDF Chief of Defense Forces for creating a committee to investigate all cases and the alleged crimes committed by the forces in those counties.
“It is hoped that, in Yei’s case, this process will bring justice for some of the victims,” Aderie said.
The meeting also discussed some of the outstanding pending pre-transitional tasks that are yet to be implemented such as the cantonment, training of the unified forces and also vacating the remaining occupied civilian’s homes.