JUBA, South Africa
The European Union delegation in South Sudan has issued a stark warning about the country’s deteriorating security situation, particularly in the wake of recent clashes in Nasir County, Upper Nile.
The EU has called on South
Sudan’s leaders to take immediate action to prevent
the nation from plunging back into full-scale conflict.
The appeal comes as tensions
rise in Juba and other areas, threatening to unravel the fragile 2018 peace
agreement between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar.
Last Tuesday, clashes between
an armed group and government forces in Nasir County led to the arrests of key
allies of Mr. Machar, including the
petroleum minister and a deputy army chief.
President Kiir’s faction has accused the White Army, a group of armed youth in Nasir, of having ties to Mr. Machar’s SPLA-IO forces—a claim that Mr. Machar’s camp has denied.
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Following the clashes,
military personnel surrounded
Mr. Machar’s residence in Juba, though no official explanation was given.
Supporters of the first vice president have warned that the move could
jeopardize the 2018 peace deal, which ended a five-year civil war between
forces loyal to Mr. Machar and President Kiir.
Tensions escalated further
last Friday when a United Nations helicopter evacuating South Sudan People’s
Defence Forces (SSPDF) soldiers was fired
upon in Nasir. The attack resulted in the deaths of an army commander, a UN
crew member, and several others.
At a workshop hosted by the
Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification
Mechanism (CTSAMVM) on Tuesday, EU Ambassador to South Sudan Timo Olkkonen
emphasized the urgent need for peace mechanisms to promote calm and facilitate
dialogue among all parties to the peace agreement.
“The recent events in
different parts of the country, particularly in Upper Nile, highlight the
critical need for mechanisms that uphold peace, keep dialogue channels open,
and avoid unilateral actions or language that could further escalate the
situation,” Mr. Olkkonen said.
He acknowledged differing
interpretations of the events in Upper Nile but stressed that South Sudan’s
leaders must take responsibility to prevent further conflict. “There are
different interpretations of what has been transpiring in the recent weeks, and
we hope that the responsibility obviously lies with the South Sudan leaders to
tackle these issues and also make sure that they don’t lead to further
conflict,” he added.
Mr. Olkkonen also called on
peace monitors, including CTSAMVM, to play a more active role in addressing
ceasefire violations. “We also hope that mechanisms such as CTSAMVM could be
utilized in addressing these issues that are raising questions now about what
part of it will happen,” he said.
The EU diplomat reiterated the
need for South Sudanese leaders, particularly those who signed the 2018 peace
agreement, to resolve their differences and prevent the country from descending
back into war.
With ongoing conflicts in
Upper Nile and Western Equatoria states, Mr. Olkkonen described the situation
in South Sudan as increasingly complex and urged all peace partners to redouble
their efforts to sustain stability.
The European Union is a major
donor to South Sudan, providing humanitarian, development, and economic
support.
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