South Sudanese army carries out fresh attacks on NAS rebels

May 27, 2019 (JUBA) - South Sudan Defense Forces (SSPDF) resumed attacks on the positions of the holdout National Salvation Front (NAS) of Thomas Cirilo in Central. Equatoria region said a statement released on Monday.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune, NAS Spokesperson Suba Samuel Manase said the South Sudanese government troops backed with local militias launched an operation to hunt down their forces around Lainya and Wounduruba of Central Equatoria last week.

According to Manase on 26th May 2019, the SSPDF together with militiamen loyal to South Sudanese cabinet minister Martin Elia Lomuro attacked NAS forces at their location around Lainya and Wounduruba of Central Equatoria last week.

"Fighting continued till the early hours of Monday 27th May 2019," he added.

The NAS forces repulsed the attack and inflicted heavy human and material losses on the assailants.

The rebel spokesperson also signalled that two NAS fighters were injured during the fighting

"We continue to point out that this fighting came as part of the Kiir's regime strategy to defeat NAS forces militarily in order to force it to surrender to their unrealistic peace agreement," he said.

The IGAD decided to include the holdout groups in the peace agreement which was signed on 12 September 2018.

The IGAD Council of Ministers Ismail Wais met in February and March 2019 with the group's leader Cirilo and asked him to sign the revitalized peace agreement

Accordingly, the IGAD chief mediator Ismail Wais met with Cirilo several times between February and March 2019 but he asked him to declare a unilateral ceasefire and to sign the revitalized peace agreement.

However, Cirilo wants the IGAD to include his allied holdout factions who formed the South Sudan National Democratic Alliance after refusing to sign the agreement.

However, the mediation refuses to recognize the new groups formed after the signing of the revitalized pact.

(ST)