Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The South Sudan People’s Defence Force (SSPDF) has dismissed reports by the National Salvation Front (NAS) that the army had carried out a dry season offensive against them.
On Thursday, the NAS issued a statement claiming that on January 26, 2022, the SSPDF had carried out what it called a “dry season offensive” in its different locations within Central Equatoria and Western Equatoria states.
When contacted by The City Review yesterday, the SSPDF Spokesperson, Maj Gen. Lul Ruai, dismissed the allegation saying the two antagonistic sides were not at war with each other.
“We are not at war with the National Salvation Front,” Maj Gen. Lul said.
Appeal for peace
However, last week, President Salva Kiir appealed to all the rebels to observe the ceasefire as he pledged his commitment to the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
This came after he met with leaders including the Vice President for Economic Cluster, Dr James Wani Igga, the Vice President for Gender and Youth Cluster, Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior, Vice President for Infrastructure, Taban Deng Gai, and the speaker of the Reconstituted Transitional National Legislative Assembly (R-TNLA) Jemma Nunu Kumba.
According to the office of the president, the meeting discussed the “general political, economic, and security situation of the country.” It deliberated on the status of the ongoing implementation of the Revitalised Peace Agreement and the mechanisms to expedite its implementation.
“The President re-affirmed his commitment to fast-tracking the ongoing implementation of Revitalised Peace Agreement and has urged the rebel groups to observe the ceasefire,” said James Deng Wal, the Executive Director in the office of the President. Wal added that the meeting majorly discussed security in the whole country, but with particular attention to Western and Central Equatoria states.
NAS claims
However, on Thursday, NAS claimed that the SSPDF has recently intensified its dry season military operations against its positions. “On January 18, 2022, the SSPDF again attacked the NAS position in Wuji, Kupera in Lainya County similarly the SSPDF incurred heavy losses both in lives and materials,” the statement read in part.
According to NAS, the SSPDF were using Katigiri and Loka west as a launching path and the army had also conducted an incursion into the NAS position, an allegation that has been denied by the SSDPF.
On August 17, 2021, the government released four people who were suspected to be members of the National Salvation Front (NAS) after spending months in the hands of the SSPDF in Lainya County.
A news website quoted Emmanuel Khamis Richard, Lainya County Commissioner, saying the release of the suspects was to ensure that plans to engage the holdout groups are on course.
He said, “As a part of the resolutions of the dialogue, the security organisations carried out investigations on the four suspects, and they were set free.” Richard added that the suspects were reunited with their families in the community.
“They have been handed over to the chief in Kenyi Payam who facilitated their return to their respective homes.” This move is also aimed at creating confidence among the organised forces and the civilians and shows that the local government is committed to peace and respecting the ceasefire and protection of civilians who are caught during the conflict,” he said
In July 2021, the Minister of Presidential Affairs Dr Barnaba Marial Benjamin announced plans to engage General Thomas Cirilo to ensure that all the political outfits are engaged in the peace initiative.
It was only a matter of a month before September arrived. Here, NAS was accused of attacking humanitarian workers from the World Food Programme, killing two, abducting another, and torching a vehicle.
Maj. Gen. Lul confirmed the incident to The City Review at the time saying two drivers were killed, while two others were injured and abducted during the fateful incident. The spokesperson said the attack had occurred along the Yei-Morobo Road.
With volatility and a series of highway attacks, President Salva Kiir pulled out of the Rome Peace Talks with the holdout group in September 2021 after an attack along Nimule – Juba Road left five people dead, including two nuns.
“Now that SSOMA, specifically the National Salvation Front (NAS) elements, continue to violate these commitments, we have decided to pause the ongoing Sant’Egidio led Rome Peace Initiative. Our pursuit of an inclusive peace should never be taken for weakness and used as a window to kill the innocent,” Kiir said in a statement.
In a counter-statement, SSOMA, a political umbrella under which NAS falls, dismissed the statement by Kiir and alleged that it was instead government forces attacking travellers along the Juba – Nimule Highway.
Two months later after the Nimule incident, the SSPDF was confirmed killing a suspected senior officer of Gen. Thomas Cirilo, who they said used to lead the National Salvation Front (NAS) in Mundri West County in Western Equatoria State.
Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai, the SSPDF Spokesperson, told The City Review that Col. Barnaba Buna Samson was killed during a heinous attack on the SSPDF barracks in Jambo Payam on a Monday evening.
“Our forces at Jambo repulsed the attackers, and as a result, they killed one colonel from NAS. The colonel is named Barnaba Buna Samson. We were able to recover his personal rifle 4386 and granite,” Maj. Gen. Rul said.
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