Ceasefire – 2015
2015
The August 2015 Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan reaffirmed the ceasefire between the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO), and the government on January 23, 2014.
On August 27, 2015, President Salva Kiir Mayardit issued Republican Order Number 35/2015 declaring a permanent ceasefire for the implementation of the comprehensive peace agreement. The order required that the government armed forces cease military operations throughout South Sudan and to remain stationary, using force only for self defense.[1]
Since the signing of the peace agreement in August through the end of 2015, clashes between the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLM/A) and SPLMA-IO were frequent but of small scale. The Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) reports confrontations in Mboro village (2 fatalities), Faragullah village (2 fatalities), Tonj East county (92 fatalities), West Equatoria State (4 fatalities), Guit town (6 fatalities), Koch county (28 fatalities), Leer town (54 fatalities) and Leer county (75 fatalities).[2]
The Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (MVM) reported clashes between government forces and the SPLMA-IO on September 2 in Malakal, Upper Nile State,[3] on September 13 and September 27 in Guit County, Unity State,[4] [5] between September 29 and October 5 in Leer County, Unity State,[6] between October 26 and November 1 in Upper Nile State,[7] on December 24 in Western Equatoria State.[8] On November 25, the Joint Technical Committee issued a report condemning widespread murder and sexual assault by members of both armed forces despite the terms of the ceasefire agreement.[9] On December 18, the Joint Technical Committee (JTC) issued two separate reports, one condemning the government’s targeting of civilians in Unity State[10] and the other condemning the SPLM/A-IO’s targeting of civilians in Unity State.[11]
In early 2016, the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM) issued several reports indicating that both the government and SPLM/A-IO had habitually failed to protect civilians in 2015 in compliance with the ceasefire in Western Equatoria State and Western Bahr El Ghazal State.[12] [13]
[1] “South Sudan president declares permanent cease-fire,” BBC Monitoring Africa, August 27, 2015.
[2] “UCDP Conflict Encyclopedia,” Uppsala Conflict Data Program – Uppsala University Department of Peace and Conflict Research.
[3] Joint Technical Committee. “Investigations into Violations of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement in Malakal, Upper Nile State (V048),” Monitoring and Verification Mechanism, September 4, 2015.
[4] Joint Technical Committee. “Investigations into Violations of the Permanent Ceasefire in Guit County, Unity State (V049),” Monitoring and Verification Mechanism, September 22, 2015.
[5] Joint Technical Committee. “Investigations into Violations of the Permanent Ceasefire in Guit County, Unity State (V050),” Monitoring and Verification Mechanism, October 17, 2015.
[6] Joint Technical Committee. “Investigations into Violations of the Permanent Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements in Unity State and Central Equatoria State (V051),” Monitoring and Verification Mechanism, October 21, 2015.
[7] Joint Technical Committee. “Investigations into Violations of the Permanent Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements in Upper Nile State (V052),” Monitoring and Verification Mechanism, November 7, 2015.
[8] Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism. “CTSAMM Violation Report Number 05 PCTSE Violation in Western Equatoria State,” March 22, 2016.
[9] Joint Technical Committee. “Investigations into Rape and Murder in Unity State (V053),” Monitoring and Verification Mechanism, November 25, 2015.
[10] Joint Technical Committee. “Killing of Civilians in Unity State (V054),” Monitoring and Verification Mechanism, December 18, 2015.
[11] Joint Technical Committee. “Civilian Vehicle Ambush Unity State (V055),” Monitoring and Verification Mechanism, December 18, 2015.
[12] Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism. “CTSAMM Violation Report Number 057 Protection of Civilians in Western Equatoria State,” February 19, 2016.
[13] Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism. “CTSAMM Violation Report Number 003 Failure to Protect Civilians in Western Bahr El Ghazal State,” March 22, 2016.