As violence
and political tensions escalate in parts of South Sudan, the Community
Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) has called for an immediate
cessation of hostilities and encouraged political leaders to prioritize peace
and stability.
These include
Western Equatoria, Western Bahr el Ghazal, and Upper Nile states, raising
concerns about the future of the R-ARCSS and the country’s extended
transitional period.
Edmund
Yakani, executive director of CEPO, emphasized the urgency of preserving the
hard-won peace and stability, asserting that the political elite must not
return the country to war.
“Our call for
peace and stability is the goal of the common citizen’s interest. We demand
strongly for our political leaders from the various political parties'
signatories to R-ARCSS not to return the country to war,” Yakani said at a
press conference in Juba on Wednesday.
The newly
extended transitional period from 2025 to 2027 has started amid increasing
political unrest and violations of the 2018 revitalized peace agreement.
CEPO
condemned the political arrests and detentions in Juba, especially the recent
arrest of three senior SPLA-IO officers and a minister of Petroleum.
"Three
senior SPLA-IO officers and one Minister of Petroleum are arrested. They should
be released unconditionally," Yakani asserted.
Furthermore,
CEPO called for the leadership of the White Army in Nasir County to engage in
dialogue rather than resorting to violence.
“CEPO is
calling upon the leadership of the White Army in Nasir County to abstain from
violence, and if they have any political grievance associated with the approach
for the replacement of long-stay SSPDF soldiers in Nasir, it is better to use
dialogue for resolving or seeking solutions for their grievances,” he stated.
CEPO warned
of the presence of hidden actors potentially fueling proxy wars in parts of the
country.
“It seems
some hidden actors are facilitating proxy wars in parts of Western Equatoria,
Western Bahr el Ghazal, and Upper Nile states,” Yakani added, urging citizens
to remain vigilant and refrain from being used as militias by political elites.
The
international community has also expressed concern, with several Western
embassies in Juba joining IGAD in calling for an immediate end to the violence.
A press
statement issued by the embassies of Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands,
Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as the Delegation of
the European Union, condemned the hostilities in Upper Nile State.
"We
deplore the hostilities in Upper Nile State, which included significant loss of
life," the statement read.
The embassies
also expressed concern about the recent detention of senior military and
civilian officials, reiterating the call for restraint from all parties
involved.
"We are
also concerned by reports of detentions of senior military and civilian
officials. We join our IGAD counterparts in calling for an immediate cessation
of hostilities and for all parties and their affiliates to exercise maximum
restraint," they stated.
“Juba-based
leaders must demonstrate their commitment to peaceful dialogue and should put
the interests of the South Sudanese people first.”
On Monday,
President Salva Kiir convened a crucial meeting at the request of Dr. Riek
Machar, first Vice President and chairman of the SPLM/A-IO, to address the
unfolding security issues across the country.
The meeting
also discussed the progress of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of
the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
The leaders
agreed that SSPDF soldiers heading to Nasir County should go peacefully without
interruption on the way.
However, on
Tuesday, an attack occurred in Nassir that raised concerns about the stability
of the country’s peace process, but it is now under control.
CEPO has
urged the leadership in Juba to take immediate action to address the growing
crisis.
"CEPO is
urging H.E. President and H.E. First Vice President and other Vice Presidents
to hold an urgent meeting for making some decisions for resolving the
developing situation across the country," Yakani added.