From the Sudan Tribune

September 13, 2015 (JUBA) - South Sudanese government has denied reports that its forces have attacked rebel-held positions in Unity state in violation of the permanent ceasefire which results from the signing of peace agreement in August.

An SPLA soldier is pictured behind a South Sudan flag as he sits on the back of a pick-up truck in Bentiu, Unity state January 12, 2014. (Photo Reuters/Andreea Campeanu)

South Sudan’s armed opposition led by former vice president, Riek Machar, on Sunday said forces loyal to president Salva Kiir attacked their bases on Saturday and Sunday in both Unity and Central Equatoria states.

However, Unity state’s governor, Joseph Nguen Monytuil, refuted the allegations, describing the attack as “barbaric” and urged the international community to hold the rebels responsible for renewed military offensive.

“We are surprised by this barbaric act of the rebels. They have violated the ceasefire in broad day light with attack on the positions held by forces in the state today. This is unacceptable and we condemn it in the strongest term possible as the state government,” governor Monytuil said in a statement on Sunday.

Unity state minister of youth, culture and sports, Lam Tungwar, told Sudan Tribune on Sunday during an exclusive interview that he was surprised by the media reports claiming government forces in the state carried out attacks on the armed opposition forces. He described it as “a misleading and blunt lie.”

“The reports which [I] have seen today are totally blunt lies. We have been closely monitoring the situation on the ground since yesterday when we received reports of the rebels amassing their troops within the vicinity of Bentiu town and our gallant SPLA forces in the state were put on alert to be vigilant and not move out of their positions even if they see provocative activities by the rebels,” said Tungwar.

“And today at around 6:00 am, the rebels attacked the town in clear violation of the ceasefire which our forces have received clear instructions to observe and comply [with]. They listened and complied but the rebels took it upon themselves as an opportunity to attack the positions of our forces and turned around to make those wild lies,” he further said it.

Tungwar, formerly a youth activist turned politician with his appointment as the state youth minister, decried the manner with which the armed opposition fighters and its leadership were handling the ceasefire and the implementation of the peace agreement despite ratification done by the two sides.

“This was purely an attempt to cover their act. They have been organising themselves for this attack and we alerted relevant institutions and concerned players, including the embassy of the United States here in Juba and others about these activities of the rebels,” he said.

He claimed that it was the opposition fighters that were amassing troops within the vicinity of Bentiu town.

“We knew they were going to stage an attack and come out quickly with predetermined and planed statements to claim the attack was carried out by our gallant forces. We knew this tactic because they have been doing them time and again,” he explained.

The spokesperson of the government forces, Colonel Philip Aguer, in a separate interview on Sunday accused the opposition fighters of having carried out attacks on the position held by the government troops, describing rebel reports charging the government of attack as “cover up.”

The military officer called on the United Nations, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the global community to deploy ceasefire monitors to verify the allegations of violations on the ground.

(ST)