EU condemns ceasefire violation in Nassir, South Sudan
EU Heads of Mission in Juba express serious concerns about the attack on Nassir town and encourage the (Inter-Governmental Authority on Development) IGAD Monitoring and Verification Mechanism to report on violations.
The EU delegation, UK and other EU Heads of Mission in Juba released a joint statement on the recent attack on Nassir:
The EU Delegation and Heads of Mission of EU Member States in South Sudan are gravely concerned by reports that opposition forces attacked Nassir town in Upper Nile State on 20 July. This is the first major military confrontation since the re-commitment to the cessation-of-hostilities agreement on 9 May 2014 by President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar.
The EU condemns all violations of the cessation-of-hostilities agreement and calls upon both parties to abide by their commitment and refrain from any attack, rearming, resupply or re-positioning of forces. This latest violation of the cessation-of-hostilities agreement is a dangerous escalation that further undermines the efforts of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to find a political solution to the conflict through negotiations. It aggravates the already dramatic humanitarian situation with tens of thousands of people in urgent need of assistance.
The EU encourages the IGAD Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (MVM) to provide a detailed report on the circumstances of the attack, in order to allow for appropriate actions against those responsible for this flagrant violation of the cessation-of-hostilities agreement. The EU Delegation and Heads of Mission of EU Member States in South Sudan recalls the EU Declaration of 10 July which stated, after the adoption of first restrictive measures against two individuals, that such measures will be considered against those responsible for obstructing the IGAD-led peace process, breaching the ceasefire and committing egregious human rights violations.