South Sudan accuses rebels of violating ceasefire
Iran Press TV
Sat Jan 25, 2014 3:29PM GMT
The South Sudanese government has accused rebel forces loyal to former vice president, Riek Machar, of breaking the ceasefire less than a day after it took effect.
South Sudanese Information Minister Michael Makuei said on Saturday that the rebels continue their attacks against the army soldiers, adding, "Our forces... will have to defend themselves."
On January 23, South Sudan and the rebels signed a ceasefire agreement to end weeks of heavy fighting which led to the death of thousands of people in the world's youngest nation.
Mediators from the East African regional trading bloc, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), brokered the truce, which came into effect on Friday.
The South Sudanese minister went on to say that Juba remained committed to implementing the deal, calling on the regional nations who helped mediate the accord to ensure it was enforced.
The United Nations has also confirmed reports of clashes between South Sudanese rebels and government forces despite the announcement of a ceasefire.
On Friday, rebel spokesman, Lul Ruai Koang, accused the army of launching simultaneous attacks on their positions in the northern oil state of Unity, and in the volatile eastern Jonglei region, saying Ugandan soldiers and rebels from Sudan's Darfur region had joined the army in the offensive.
Deadly violence in South Sudan broke out on December 15, 2013, when President Salva Kiir accused his sacked deputy, Machar, of attempting to stage a coup. The conflict soon turned into an all-out war between the army and defectors.
Aid groups say up to 10,000 people have lost their lives in the fighting, with another half million forced to leave their homes as a result of the violence.
MKA/AB/SS
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