South Sudanese vice president Riek Machar ordered his opposition forces to cease fighting on Monday, after his rival, president Salva Kiir, ordered government forces to do the same. “This senseless and inexcusable violence undertaken by those who yet again are putting self-interest above the well-being of their country and people puts at risk everything the South Sudanese people have aspired to over the past five years”, Rice said.
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It followed deadly clashes on Friday and Sunday in the capital city.
There was no immediate response from the government of President Salva Kiir to the statement by Machar’s spokesman. The violence was especially worrying to the global community because of the ethnic tensions involved, as many supporters of the president were Dinka and supporters of Machar, now a rebel leader, were mostly Nuer.
Central African Republic is riven by conflict, the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo is contending with a patchwork of militias and rebels groups, and Burundi is embroiled in a violent political crisis. This includes whether either side is gaining an upper hand or how much control Kiir and Machar have over their forces.
The moves come after five days of intense fighting between forces loyal to the president and those aligned with Machar killed more than 300 people.
“I struggled after the (peace) agreement and bought my goods again – little did I know fighting was to resume again”, he said.
The 15-nation council said it would consider boosting U.N. troops and police to help quell the violence and urged regional countries to prepare to contribute troops. “I’m safe. No one should take laws in their own hands to destabilize this country”, Machar wrote on his official Twitter account.
A ceasefire appears to be holding in South Sudan’s capital, Juba, after four days of heavy fighting between rival forces left more than 270 people dead. Two Chinese UN peacekeepers were reported to have been killed at the base on Sunday night.
“The renewed fighting is outrageous”.
“We are committed to implementing the peace agreement we signed and we have a transitional government that is performing its missions despite the tough conditions”, said Makuei.
There are now about 12,000 soldiers and 1,200 police as part of the United Nations mission known as UNMISS.
The latest fighting has awakened fears that South Sudan’s other ethnic groups will be drawn in.
“Attacks on civilians and United Nations personnel delivering humanitarian aid are violations of worldwide humanitarian law and may constitute war crimes”.
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Ramaphosa welcomed the resolution of the Extra-Ordinary Session of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development Council of Ministers in Nairobi on Monday, calling for an immediate ceasefire.
