South Sudan’s ceasefire monitoring body (CTSAMVM) awaits results from the government’s investigations into the December 18, 2018 incident where its members were unlawfully detained and abused by security personnel in Luri, an official said.

South Sudan security personnel detained, stripped, blindfolded and assaulted three international observers on duty in Luri, an area west of the capital, Juba, the peace monitoring body said last year.

“We urge government to complete its report on Luri soon and acknowledge CTSAMVM’s right to freedom of movement and access,” CTSAMVM Chairman Maj. Gen. Desta Abiche Ageno told the 8th technical committee meeting held in Juba on Tuesday. 

The peace monitoring body was established after the signing of the peace agreement in August 2015.

The mandate of the CTSAMVM is to monitor and verify the implementation of the Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities as agreed by the parties and thus help bring an end to the conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions.

Meanwhile, the ceasefire monitors expressed concerns over the continued clashes in Yei River State between government troops (SSPDF) and the holdout group National Salvation Front (NAS).

“The Yei area in Central Equatoria continues to be of concern with continuing clashes between the SSPDF and NAS forces of Thomas Cirrilo,” said the CTSAMVM chairman.

Of concern, he further said, were allegations that SSPDF launched military offensives against NAS forces in Mukaya area on January 18, which resulted in the displacement of many civilians.

“We continue to urge the office of the IGAD Special Envoy to South Sudan to resolve the issue of NAS (TC) and other armed groups operating in Greater Equatoria and bring them into the revitalized peace agreement,” said Abiche.

“We also urge the government to show restraint and desist from any offensive operations,” he stressed.

The SSPDF spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment.

South Sudanese arch-foes, in September last year, signed a revitalized peace agreement, aimed at ending the country’s devastating civil war that killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions.