South Sudan parties vow to cease hostilities in trouble spots

Sudan People's Liberation Army–In Opposition (SPLA-IO) soldiers in a past photo. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad) has called on South Sudan’s main opposition party to cease hostilities within its group (PHOTO | FILE | NMG)

JUBA, April 8 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan's parties on Friday agreed to cease hostilities in the wake of recent fighting in northern Upper Nile and Unity states.

Thoi Chany Reat, deputy head of the South Sudan army (SSPDF), said after meeting his counterparts from Sudan People's Liberation Army-in opposition (SPLA-IO) and South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) in Juba, capital of South Sudan.

"We urge the security mechanisms to speed up the process of graduation of the unified forces, and also spare no efforts in preparing for phase two of the unification of forces," said Reat.

"On behalf of the chief of defense forces and the command of SSPDF, we direct all forces to cease hostilities and uphold the cessation of hostilities agreement," he added during the joint meeting attended by top commanders of both government and opposition forces.

The SPLA-IO and SSPDF clashed last week in Koch County of Unity state and Maiwut in Upper Nile state.

President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar, leader of SPLA-IO, agreed on April 3 to share ratios within the unified army command structure to be set up next week.

Gabriel Duop Lam, the acting chief of general staff for the SPLA-IO under Machar, said all the top commanders of SSPDF, SSOA and SPLA-IO will soon meet and form high-level committee to enforce the ceasefire in hotspot areas.

Julius Tabuley, head of SSOA forces, said the screening, streamlining of ranks has already completed paving way for the graduation of the 83,000 unified forces.

"In December last year, we sent committees to various training centers and their work was to screen, reorganize and unify the forces in those centers this work was concluded successfully. By next week there will be decree on the composition of the unified army command," said Tabuley.