JUBA, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Diplomats from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an East African bloc, on Wednesday expressed deep concern about the ongoing armed violence in Nasir County in South Sudan's Upper Nile State.

The IGAD envoys from Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda, who are based in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, said escalating tensions and armed clashes in Nasir County, which have left over 20 people dead and displaced many others, could undermine a permanent peace deal.

"We call upon all the parties and their affiliate groups to immediately cease hostilities and exercise maximum restraint," the diplomats said in a joint statement issued in Juba.

Clashes erupted in mid-February between the South Sudan People's Defense Forces and the armed civilian groups in Nasir County.

Tensions escalated further after the government announced plans to deploy new forces to Nasir County to rotate troops stationed in the area for several years, raising concerns among local communities that the incoming forces could target civilians or initiate a disarmament campaign.

More than 20 people have been reported killed and several others injured on the outskirts of the now-deserted town of Nasir, located near the border between South Sudan and Ethiopia.

According to the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism, a multinational body that monitors compliance with the South Sudan peace agreement signed in 2018, the security situation in Upper Nile State has significantly deteriorated in the past weeks.

The IGAD diplomats said the security situation in Nasir threatens to undermine the hard-won gains achieved in implementing the revitalized peace agreement and exacerbate the already dire humanitarian situation in the region.

"We emphasize the paramount importance of upholding the permanent ceasefire and adhering to the provisions of the peace agreement," the envoys said while encouraging continued dialogue and consultations within the framework of the revitalized peace agreement. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)