Deadly Camp Attack, a Violation of South Sudan’s Ceasefire, Opposition Says

A deadly attack on one of South Sudan’s military camps is a violation of the country’s ceasefire, the country’s main opposition party has said.

President Salva Kiir and his rival leader Riek Machar – who is now first vice-president – formed a unity government in February last year, ending a six-year brutal civil war.

But the parties are yet to form a unified national army of 83,000 forces – a key part of the agreement.

Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) said that five of its soldiers, including a camp commander, were killed on Monday when unknown gunmen attacked and burnt down Lowereng military camp in Eastern Equatoria state.

“Much as the attackers are yet unknown, this attack amounts to violation of the permanent ceasefire that needs to be investigated,” SPLM-IO spokesman Col Lam Paul Gabriel said.

He called for the incident to be investigated and those responsible held accountable.

The SPLM-IO was committed to security arrangements agreed upon in a peace deal, but had the right to self-defence, he added.

Last month, UN human rights experts said that there were still staggering levels of violence continuing in South Sudan where armed militias are divided along ethnic lines.

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