South Sudan militant leader accuses government army of ceasefire violation

South Sudan rebel leader Riek Machar on Friday accused the government army of systematic violation of the ceasefire by attacking the rebel positions, particularly in the oil-rich Upper Nile State.

"There are systematic and continued attacks by the government army on our positions, particularly in Upper Nile State and around Malakal town," Machar said at a press conference in Khartoum.

"The government army is still continuing its operations against us, while we are pressing on Juba government to abide by the ceasefire," he added.

Machar reiterated his commitment to the implementation of the peace deal which the South Sudanese warring parties signed last August under the patronage of the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development in Africa (IGAD).

"It is true that the agreement was imposed on us by the mediators and the IGAD; and it is true that we have about 12 observations about it, but since we have agreed to sign it, we are committed in implementing it," Machar said.

"We want the agreement to be implemented. We promise to fulfill our parts of the commitments and we also hope the other party to do so," he said.

Machar signed the peace deal last Aug. 17 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, while South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit signed the agreement last Aug. 26 in Juba.

Nevertheless, the two sides have repeatedly accused each other of violating the ceasefire agreement.

On Thursday, the IGAD said South Sudan government violated the latest ceasefire between the country's warring parties by attacking rebel positions in Upper Nile state on Sept. 2.

"The attacks took place on Sept. 2 in the Lelo, Awarajwok and Detand areas of oil-producing Upper Nile state in the country's east," the IGAD said in a report.

"It amounted to clear violation of the ceasefire, which commenced on Aug. 30," the report said.

South Sudan plunged into violence in December 2013 when fighting erupted between troops loyal to President Salva Kiir Mayardit and defectors led by his former deputy Riek Machar.

The conflict soon turned into an all-out war, with the violence taking on an ethnic dimension, pitting president Dinka's tribe against Machar's Nuer ethnic group.

The clashes killed thousands of South Sudanese and forced around 1.9 million individuals to flee their homes.

Source: XINHUA