Africa

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May 31, 2018 (MAYOM) - Heavy clashes occurred on Thursday between two South Sudanese army factions in Mayom county, leaving dozens dead and several others wounded, a resident said.

The map of Unity state

James Makuey a resident of the area has told Sudan Tribune that the fighting was between forces loyal to South Sudan army Gen. Buay Rolyang and a group allied to Mathew Puljang in Mayom.

“As we speak now, fighting is still going on and so many people have died,” he said, adding that a number of civilians have been injured.

Another resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the attack on Buay's residence caused a split within the military.

“The fighting has stopped for a while, but all forces from both sides are within the town. No one was defeated and it seems they are waiting for reinforcement somewhere,” he said.

The military has not officially reacted to the latest fighting in Mayom county.

The Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM), in a new report, said South Sudan army and rebels massacred civilians, burned children alive and gang-raped women, despite a ceasefire agreed upon in December last year.

The 14 CTSAMM are yet to be publicly released despite pledges by regional leaders to have violators of the ceasefire accord punished.

However, both the South Sudanese government and rebels dismissed the report.

Tens of thousands have been killed in South Sudan's war, which began in December 2013 with fighting been soldiers loyal to President Salva Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, and Machar, an ethnic Nuer. More than 3 million people have been displaced due to the civil war, while aid agencies say about 5 million people are food insecure.

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May 31, 2018 (LEER) - Thousands of people are fleeing for their lives amid a sharp escalation in fighting and attacks on civilians in the Leer and Mayendit counties of South Sudan over the past month, the international medical humanitarian, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said, calling on all armed actors to stop the violence against the local population.

South Sudanese civilians flee fighting in an United Nations base in the northeastern town of Malakal on February 18, 2016, where gunmen opened fire on civilians sheltering inside killing at least five people. (Photo AFP/Justin Lynch)

Survivors, MSF said in a statement, reported incidences of gang rapes, mass killings, villages looted and burned, and food reserves and possessions destroyed. MSF mobile clinic teams are providing basic medical care to communities that they can reach and have treated 41 survivors of sexual violence in the past month alone.

"People are running away from the ruthless violence of the warring parties," said Akke Boere, MSF operational manager.

"They are caught between the front lines, and are themselves the target of attacks. Many tell us of neighbors and family members killed," he added.

The ongoing clashes are forcing thousands of civilians to seek refuge in the bush, swamps and islands, with some people fleeing repeated attacks, the agency said.

People displaced by the fighting have now gone for more than four weeks without adequate shelter, clean water or food, and little access to medical care. The most vulnerable people, such as children and pregnant women, are at great risk of contracting diseases.

"In our mobile clinics, we are seeing medical issues directly related to the living conditions, including acute watery diarrhea, respiratory and skin infections and musculoskeletal disorders, with patients suffering from muscle or joint pain," said Georgina Brown, MSF medical coordinator in South Sudan.

"The rainy season may worsen the situation considerably."

Attacks against health care facilities are reportedly also cutting off communities from much-needed medical assistance. In two locations where MSF works, medical supplies were looted and property destroyed.

The number of people that MSF is treating for sexual assault is very worrying, according to Brown. In one village, MSF treated 21 survivors of sexual violence in 48 hours, and a few days later, MSF treated 20 survivors in another area.

"We know many survivors don't receive any treatment," said Brown.

"People are still hiding in the bush and swamp areas because they're afraid of the ongoing violence, and so they don't have access to basic services, including health care. Until the violence calms down, we can't reach these people to give them the treatment they need," she added.

The current fighting, according to MSF, is the latest episode in the violence that has raged in Leer and Mayendit counties for several years. The warring parties have repeatedly targeted the civilian population and forced them to flee without shelter, food, water or medical care.

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May 31, 2018 (ADDIS ABABA) – The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has proposed a meeting between South Sudan President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar takes place before the 31st summit of the African Union assembly duel on 1 and 2 July in Noukakchott, Mauritania.

President Salva Kiir greets First Vice President Riek Machar before to start a meeting at the South Sudanese presidency in Juba on 3 June 2016 (Photo Moses Lomayat)

The IGAD Council of Ministers, in a communiqué issued following its extra-ordinary summit in Addis Ababa on Thursday, said a final decision be made on the effective participation of the armed opposition leader on the peace process.

It will be the first time the two rival South Sudanese leaders will be meeting face-to-face since the July 2016 clashes in the capital, Juba.

The second round of the IGAD-led High Level Revitalization Forum (HLRF) ended last week without any deal after the warring parties rejected a proposed power sharing deal developed by regional bloc and IGAD is yet to announce the next date for the negotiations.

Meanwhile, foreign ministers from the regional bloc have directed mediators to develop a full revitalized text of the 2015 peace agreement, which it said should be endorsed by the IGAD Council of Ministers and submitted to the summit for the final approval.

The IGAD Council of Ministers, in the communiqué, also proposed that punitive measures be taken against violators of the ceasefire deal for approval of its Assembly of Heads of State and Government.

It further decided to submit its request to the IGAD Assembly to delegate the Council to decide on actions to be taken against violators of the ceasefire deal on the assembly's behalf.

The IGAD Council of Ministers, however, said it will work closely with the IGAD-Plus nations to realize the objectives of the HLRF process.

South Sudan plunged into war in December 2013, barely two years after independence from Sudan, after a disagreement between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar deteriorated into a military confrontation.

Tens of thousands have been killed by the fighting between troops loyal to Kiir and forces loyal to Machar. The conflict has also left a quarter of the country's population of 12 million either internally displaced or as refugees in neighbouring countries

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