By Philip Buda Ladu
The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement and Army in Opposition, (SPLM/A-IO) tendered their letter of suspension to the Chairperson of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, (RJMEC) suspending their participating in the meetings of the ceasefire monitoring body, CTSAMVM including the RJMEC.
The suspension was declared through a letter addressed to the R-JMEC Chairperson dated 22nd March 2022 as seen by No. 1 Citizen Daily Newspaper, on Tuesday.
The leadership of SPLM/A-IO said it was discouraged by the level of violations committed against their positions by the SPLM-IG and citing lack of action from CTSAMVM and R-JMEC as the security and peace monitoring bodies to hold perpetrators of violations accountable.
The letter titled “Suspension of our participation in the security mechanism’s meetings including R-JMEC” came after members of the SPLM/A-IO to the Ceasefire Transitional Security Arrangement Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) boycotted a technical committee meeting on Monday citing attacks on IO positions by SPLM-IG forces.
The SPLA-IO said its members in the Security Mechanisms have been presenting violations of the cessation of hostilities agreement (COHA) made by their peace partner (IG, NSS, SSPDF) in various CTSAMVM and RJMEC (Fora), plenary meetings since the beginning of the implementation of the Transitional Security Arrangements.
SPLA-IO said they believe the RJMEC is mandated by the Agreement (R-ARCSS) to address the violations of continuous unprovoked attacks on the SPLA-IO, areas, cantonment sites and the Unified Training Centres.
The main opposition party went on to outline a number of violations it reported were carried against their positions by the incumbent government forces as their partner to the agreement.
The unprovoked attacks on the SPLA-IO areas by the IG, NSS and SSPDF had been ongoing throughout the duration of the agreement as illustrated by the attacks on the following places;
“Moroto training centre in Kajo-Keji County, Kaljaak training centre in Rubkona County, Turu Cantonment site in Maiwut County, Liengi cantonment site in Maban County, Pieri cantonment site in Uror County, Namatina cantonment site in Najero County, Mirmir cantonment site in Kosh County, and recently (March, 20th 2022) where SSPDF forces from Pagak attacked, captured and occupied the SPLM/A-IO General Headquarters in Jiokow in Maiwut County” the letter mentioned.
It further cited alleged facilitation and encouragement of defection used by the SPLM-IG as a proxy war that results to violent clashes and displacements of civilian population in the affected areas mentioned above.
The SPLM/A-IO accused the SPLM-IG of using defected soldiers against the SPLM/A-IO positions alleging that it amounts to continuation of war with destructive results to the civil population in the areas affected by the destructive policy.
The main opposition party also cited irregular attendance of Security Mechanisms meetings by Members of the SPLM-IG to the Security Mechanisms as one of the concerns provoking their decision to suspend their members’ participation at CTSAMVM meetings.
“In most of the Security Mechanisms meetings, the members of the security mechanisms from the SPLM-IG (SDSR, JDB, JTSC, JMCC, etc) attend those meetings irregularly and sometimes sent officers who are not members of the security mechanisms to represent them in these meetings. Only members of the opposition (SPLM/A-IO and SSOA) usually participate in these crucial meeting” partly read the letter addressed to RJMEC.
“We therefore, see no point in participating in none productive meetings where issues are raised but not resolved as such we are stopping our participation in the RJMEC meeting from today, March 22nd 2022, until the above issues are addressed” the official statement stressed.
It added that “we see no logical reason to participate in meetings when our areas are under attacks from our peace partners without action from those mandated to hold them accountable for such violations”.
The SPLM/A-IO however noted that they will unveil themselves for discussion on the aforementioned issue at the request of the R-JMEC leadership.