South Sudan: Government Denies War Despite Ongoing Clashes. Juba, South Sudan — The South Sudanese government on Tuesday maintained that the country is not at war, despite ongoing heavy fighting with rebel forces that has erupted since late December.
The United Nations has described the scale of the clashes as the largest since the 2018 peace agreement, according to Africanews.
The latest conflict, which has displaced over 180,000 people in Jonglei State, involves factions loyal to President Salva Kiir and his long-time rival, Riek Machar.
In response to the fighting, Information Minister Ateny Wek Ateny stated, “The ongoing security operation in northern Jonglei State is a lawful and necessary measure aimed at halting the advance of rebel forces, restoring public order, and safeguarding civilians.”
The fighting marks a significant escalation in a region that has been addressing instability and conflict since the country’s formation in 2011.
South Sudan has been beset by civil war, poverty, and corruption since gaining independence from Sudan.
The Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) was reached in 2018, ending the civil war that raged from 2013 to 2018.
However, the agreement has been unraveling in recent months, with the government and opposition forces engaged in ongoing clashes.
Officials commented on the matter.
The United Nations mission in South Sudan (UN-MISS) has expressed concern about the potential risk to hundreds of thousands of civilians. Barney Afako, a member of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, noted last week that the clashes are a dangerous escalation that could spread to other parts of the country.
Despite the ongoing fighting, Ateny insisted on Tuesday that the peace agreement has not collapsed.
He called on the SPLM/A in Opposition to immediately cease hostilities, adding that actions undermining the agreement pose a serious threat to peace and the ongoing transitional process.
The government’s claim of not being at war has been met with skepticism from both domestic and international observers.
As the situation develops, further details are expected to emerge regarding the fate of the peace agreement and the stability of South Sudan.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 5*
