21 Dec 2017 | 08:14 AM UTC
South Sudan: Permanent ceasefire may be signed December 22
Belligerent factions may sign permanent ceasefire December 22, reviving 2015 peace deal; rebel group SPLA-IO calls for interim unilateral ceasefire during permanent ceasefire negotiations as clashes continue
Event
Belligerent factions involved in South Sudan's ongoing civil war may sign a permanent ceasefire in the coming days, in an effort to revive a 2015 peace agreement. According to local media sources, the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) and Sudan People's Liberation Army - In Opposition (SPLA-IO), among other groups, met in Addis Ababa on Tuesday, December 19, to consider a drafted permanent ceasefire agreement; the ceasefire may be signed as early as Friday, December 22. The SPLA-IO has called for an interim unilateral ceasefire while the negotiations are underway. As of Tuesday, December 19, however, clashes between SPLA and SPLA-IO forces were ongoing in the towns of Lasu and Kajo Keji (Yei River state), and in Lol state. Additional clashes between SPLA and SPLA-IO forces are possible in the coming days during the ongoing ceasefire negotiations.
Context
South Sudan has been wracked by years of political, interethnic, and intercommunal violence - exacerbated by border and oil revenue disputes with Sudan. Following the 2011 signature of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that gave the country its independence from Sudan, the predominantly north-south conflict has given way to a pattern of internal violence. Since December 2013, the country has experienced an intermittent civil war waged between the government of President Salva Kiir and the SPLA on one side, and former Vice President Riek Machar and the SPLA-IO on the other. The "Compromise Peace Agreement," signed by the SPLA and SPLA-IO in 2015, failed to prevent additional outbreaks of ethnic and political violence. The conflict has continued despite international support for state-building and peace-keeping - including the 12,000-strong United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), deployed since 2011. The number of South Sudanese citizens displaced by the conflict currently stands at some 3.5 million.
Advice
Many Western governments advise against nonessential travel to South Sudan. Certain regions should be particularly avoided, including the states of Unity and Upper Nile, the north of Warrap state, parts of Eastern and Central Equatoria states, and areas along the border with the Central African Republic, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. If travel is necessary, ensure that proper security protocols are in place.
