South Sudan's army accuses rebel leader of truce violation

JUBA, May 23 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) on Wednesday accused exiled rebel leader Riek Machar faction over violation of cease-fire truce which was inked by the warring parties in Ethiopia.

Brigadier General, Lul Ruai Koang, SPLA spokesman said Sudan People's Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO) under Machar has launched offensive attacks on government forces in former Unity State.

He said the three states currently under offensive attack by the opposition faction allied to Machar include Leer, Latjor and Maiwut.

"I request cease-fire monitoring body (CTSAMM) to investigate and hold Riek Machar and his field commanders accountable for the violation of the truce," Koang told journalists in Juba.

This comes after the parties at the talks on Tuesday agreed to recommit themselves to the cessation of hostilities agreement signed in late December 2017.

"I would like to reiterate the commitment of the government forces ability to observe a ceasefire and to continue to protect the lives and territorial integrity of the country," he said.

Meanwhile, the East African bloc has called for an extraordinary session to consider the punitive measures that should be taken against violators of the cessation of hostilities agreement in South Sudan.

The Chairperson of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Council of Ministers said the Ceasefire Transitional Security Arrangement Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM) and Joint Monitoring Evaluation Commission (JMEC) have submitted reports concerning the repeated and serious violations of cessation of hostilities agreement, which calls for urgent and appropriate action against the perpetrators

The Council which did not indicate when the meeting will take place said it will consider the report of the chairperson on the shuttle diplomacy undertaken to the parties in South Sudan as well as the report of the IGAD Special Envoy to South Sudan.

The warring factions had previously violated several ceases-fire agreements since the conflict broke out nearly five years ago.

South Sudan has been embroiled in four years of conflict that has taken a devastating toll on the people, creating one of the fastest growing refugee crisis in the world.

A peace deal signed in August 2015 between the rival leaders under UN pressure led to the establishment of a transitional unity government in April, but was shattered by renewed fighting in July 2016.