Key regional organisations have asked the South Sudan government to immediately end fighting in Upper Nile, Western Equatoria and Western Bahr el Ghazal.
The African Union Mission in South Sudan, the Inter-governmental Authority on Development, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan and the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission on Thursday said they are gravely concerned with escalating fighting in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State.
The clashes, they said, involve forces of signatory of the revitalised peace agreement in Western Equatoria and Western Bahr el Ghazal States.
“Specifically, AUMISS, IGAD, UNMISS and RJMEC call upon the Parties to urgently work together through the established mechanisms of the R-ARCSS [Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan] to de-escalate the situation in order to restore calm in Upper Nile State,” the organisations said in a joint statement.
According to the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM), the security situation in Upper Nile state in particular, has significantly deteriorated in past weeks. “This has been heightened by the ongoing rotation of forces in Nasir, raising concerns about the likelihood of widespread violence,” it added.
UNMISS said on February 17 that fighting broke out between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPSF) and “armed youth” in Nasir in Upper Nile state, which borders Sudan, on February 14 and 15.
“On 14-15 February, a series of violent exchanges took place between the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) and armed youth in Nassir. These included the use of heavy weaponry which has, reportedly, resulted in deaths and injuries to civilians as well as armed personnel. A pre-planned UNMISS patrol was also impacted by the fighting, with a peacekeeper sustaining injuries during mortar shelling,” UNMISS said.
The UN mission said the fighting had led to deaths, destruction of property and civilian displacement in both states.
An expert on South Sudan and Sudan on Friday told DiploBrief that the fighting was triggered by an attempt to disarm some groups in the state. This escalated into a fight between the government forces and local Neur groups.
Additionally, the regional analyst noted that the firing of Upper Nile State Governor Budhok Ayang Anei Kur and replacement with James Odok Oyai in January 2023 triggered tensions in the area, which have been simmering since then.
“The alternation of governors and their between the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In-Opposition (SPLM-IO) often causes the tensions,” he said.
SSPDF, the South Sudan military, has blamed the ongoing fighting on the Sudan People’s Liberation Army – in Opposition (SPLA-IO) and White Army. On Tuesday, it launched airstrikes targeting civilians in Ulang County and surrounding regions, where armed civilians, known as the White Army, are based.
On Wednesday, SSPDF issued a statement warning of looming attacks by SPLA-IO and its allied White Army on Baliet County of Upper Nile State.
AUMISS, IGAD, UNMISS and RJMEC have called on the South Sudan government and the Joint Defence Board (JDB)to work collegially, and swiftly remedy the persistent security concerns in all the three states.
JDB is composed of the Chiefs of Staff and Directors General of National Security Service, Police, and all other organized forces
“We caution that if left unaddressed, these incidents could potentially undermine the Permanent Ceasefire, which remains the cornerstone of the Revitalized Peace Agreement,” the missions said.
They further underscored the need to progress the full and rapid unification and urgent deployment of the Necessary Unified Forces to boost public faith and trust in the government as the country commences the fourth extension of its transitional period.
