“Key to achieving a real cessation of hostilities will be the deployment of monitors,” Booth told journalists in today's telephone news conference.
“There is a monitoring and verification mission established by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, or IGAD. Those monitors are now in the field in South Sudan. They had been put in the field to operate in a benign environment, but since that did not exist, they were constrained in what they could do,” he said.
Booth’s call for African boots on the ground in South Sudan was the second by a top U.S. official in as many weeks.
Last week, the State Department's assistant secretary for African affairs, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, made a similar call for an African protection force to be deployed in South Sudan.
"We have to work closely with the leaders in the region to make sure that we get IGAD troops on the ground who will be put in position so that they can monitor the agreement and ensure that anyone who is involved in breaking that agreement will be held responsible," Thomas-Greenfield said in a televised question and answer session with callers from around Africa.
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has been trying since January to broker a peace deal between the warring sides in South Sudan.
A cessation of hostilities agreement signed at the end of January called for monitoring and verification teams made up of civilians and "individuals with a military background" to be deployed around South Sudan.
The first team of monitors are unarmed. The were deployed last month under the terms of the January 23 agreement, but fighting has continued in spite of their presence.
Booth said, however, the fighting has diminished since President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar signed a peace agreement two weeks ago.
“What we have seen is, compared to prior to the May 9 agreement, the level of fighting between the two sides has indeed declined,” Booth said.
US Special Envoy to South Sudan and Sudan Donald Booth teleconference, May 23, 2014
Source http://www.voanews.com/content/us-special-envoy-calls-for-african-troops-in-south-sudan/1921220.html
Newer articles:
- South Sudan oil output down 37 pct in May vs Dec - minister - 24/05/2014 17:03
- South Sudan: MSF Battles Cholera Outbreak - 24/05/2014 09:24
- South Sudan's Wau to host cultural festival in June - 24/05/2014 07:22
- South Sudan famine risk remains despite $600M pledge - 24/05/2014 02:43
- South Sudan: MSF Rapidly Scales Up Response to Contain Cholera Outbreak - 23/05/2014 22:09
Older news items
- South Sudan Fighting Delays Delivery of Permanent Constitution - 23/05/2014 19:41
- South Sudan oil production down about 50 percent - 23/05/2014 00:00
- South Sudan conflict: Top UN official hails ceasefire deal - 22/05/2014 23:14
- South Sudan: UN calls for protection of aid workers - 22/05/2014 15:30
- South Sudan: Peace Is Possible - 22/05/2014 09:14
Latest news items (all categories):
- South Sudan Transitional Government’s Perpetual Extension of Its Mandate ‘Ultimate Obstacle to Democracy - 08/11/2024 17:11
- Salva Kiir: South Sudan’s president fought for independence, but then fuelled division, violence and corruption - 08/11/2024 16:56
- Alarming spike in childhood malaria admissions in South Sudan - 08/11/2024 16:55
- Presidents of South Sudan and Kenya push for a resolution in stalled peace talks - 08/11/2024 16:51
- Christian Aid Christmas Appeal: Rebuilding lives in South Sudan - 08/11/2024 16:45
Random articles (all categories):
- Weekly Advice for Mr. President Salva Kiir Mayardit - 12/10/2011 01:00
- Türkiye's TIKA donates chairs, desks to rural school in South Sudan - 08/11/2023 08:48
- Why African nations are keen to join the expanding BRICS club - 17/07/2023 02:59
- For The Ultimate Getaway, Why Not South Sudan? - 20/10/2013 23:40
- South Sudan plans to raise climate ambition amid ‘dire’ humanitarian crisis - 08/03/2021 10:00
Popular articles:
- Who is the darkest person in the world, according to Guinness World Record? - 25/10/2022 02:34 - Read 56551 times
- No oil in troubled waters - 25/03/2014 15:02 - Read 22173 times
- School exam results in South Sudan show decline - 01/04/2012 17:58 - Read 21302 times
- NDSU student from South Sudan receives scholarship - In-Forum - 29/09/2012 01:44 - Read 18741 times
- Top 10 weakest currency exchange rates in Africa in 2023 - 19/07/2023 00:24 - Read 17631 times