Wednesday, May 13 2020 (PW) — The signed Rome Declaration or Resolution among the South Sudan Opposition Movement and Alliances (SSOMA) and the Government of South Sudan including the Sudan People’s Liberation Army and Movement In Opposition-SPLA/M-IO dated 13th January 2020 slowly is collapsing with the recent intensified clashes around areas of Yei, Laniya and Morobo
On 12th May, 2020 already incidences of clashes between parties’ signatories to the Rome Declaration or Resolution have reached to the level of targeting civil population. At least three people are reported killed and one of the deceased is an elderly woman believed to be about 80 years old and six others wounded in an ambush near Yei town, Central Equatoria State dated 12th May, 2020.
Community Empowerment for Progress Organization strongly condemned the incident of the road ambush targeting civilian vehicle. This is violation of Rome Declaration and the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement 2017. The party behind the attacks should know that they are commitment atrocities against humanity and this will registered against them for claim of accountability in the nearest future
Mr. Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of CEPO said the parties’ signatories to Rome Declaration should adhere to the provisions of Rome Declaration and Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, 2017. Inflicting more pain to the civilians’ population of the areas of Yei, Lainya, Kejo-Kaji and Morobo counties is unacceptable act since the rest of the country is witnessing relative feeling of free from armed political parties’ violence
The parties embracing military clashes now on Juba-Lainya-Yei-Morobo road should think of the implication their violence will create to the communities alongside the threat of COVID-19 pandemic threat the society is facing. Secondly, think about your act of military clashes violating the Global call for ceasefire by the United Nations Secretary General during this wave of COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Yakani stressed
Finally, CEPO is urging the parties’ signatories to Rome Declaration to ceasefire and get committed to resolve their political difference non-violently. The leadership of IGAD needs to have a say over this recent increase in military confrontation among the parties’ signatories to Rome Declaration.