BY LISA NYAMBURA
Ambassadors from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in South Sudan have called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Upper Nile State, warning that continued violence threatens to derail the country’s fragile peace process.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, the envoys expressed alarm over the escalating clashes in Nasir County, stating that the violence undermines the gains made under the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
“We call upon all the parties and their affiliate groups to immediately cease hostilities and exercise maximum restraint,” the statement read.
The envoys stressed the need to uphold the permanent ceasefire and encouraged dialogue within the framework of the R-ARCSS.
They also welcomed the recent meeting of the presidency and its resolutions, urging further political engagement to prevent further conflict.
Meanwhile, embassies of Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, the UK, the US, and the EU also condemned the violence, citing significant loss of life.
The tensions in Upper Nile come amid South Sudan’s extended period of transition, during which key provisions of the peace deal, including security sector reforms and the unification of forces, remain unfulfilled.
The political situation in Juba worsened on Tuesday after the arrest of four senior SPLA-IO officers and Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chuol.
Their detention follows the capture of an SSPDF base in Nasir by the White Army, a local armed youth group.
With mounting regional and international pressure, stakeholders are urging South Sudan’s leaders to commit to peace and stability.
