Africa-Press – South-Sudan. A military team will be dispatched to Upper Nile State to stop ongoing fighting between the forces of the South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF) and Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in Opposition (SPLA-IO), said Lt. Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam, the Acting SPLA-IO Chief of General Staff.
This directive comes following reports of ongoing clashes between SPLA-IO and SSPDF in Maiwut County of Upper Nile state and Mir-Mir cantonment side of Koch County in Unity State.
Duop who is also a Co-Chair of the Joint Defense Board (JDB) said the body charged with overseeing the training and graduation of the necessary unified forces will take the necessary steps to address the current situation in Koch and Maiwut Counties of Upper.
“The issue of insecurity in Koch and the areas of Maiwut need to be addressed urgently by the JDB and we are going to have a small meeting at the level of the command of the two forces and our security apparatuses so that we form a committee to go down to cease the fire,” Duop said during a joint press conference at SSPDF General Headquarters in Bilpham on Friday.
Duop said the immediate implementation of security arrangements will end the violation of the cessation of hostilities between SSPDF and SPLA-IO.
“There are accusations and counter-accusations between the SPLA-IO forces and some allies seen to be backed up by SSPDF. What will start it, it is this agreement? The implementation of security arrangement because the projection is to build one national army,” he said.
Lt. Gen. James Thoi Chany, South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF) Deputy Chief of Defense Force has ordered the two forces to cease ongoing hostilities with immediate effect.
“On behalf of CDF and command of SSPDF we direct all the forces to cease the hostilities and uphold the cessation of hostilities agreement,” Thoi said.
“We urge the mechanism to speed up the process for the graduation of the forces and to start the process for preparing for phase two of necessary unified forces,” he said.
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