Africa

September 1, 2021 (JUBA) - South Sudanese authorities have fined small scale traders for shutting down shops in the wake of the botched protests organised by civil society activists last week.

Traders display clothes for sale in Bor town (File photo)

Multiple traders in Konyokonyo market, Juba town, Jebel and Muniki area told Sudan Tribune Wednesday that officials, collaborating with security officers, police and military personnel from the Juba City Council have been threatening to arrest them for failing to open their shops on August 30, 2021.

These officials accompanied by security personnel, military, and police, according to multiple traders, imposed financial fines ranging between 150,000 SSP ($375) to 50,000 SSP ($125) each.

“We were not allowed to talk. They just asked for the money and when you ask, they say they are fines for failing to open and operate your shop on Monday”, a trader told Sudan Tribune Wednesday.

A police source privy to what transpired told Sudan Tribune separately the collection was to cover expenses incurred on the forces deployed on Monday.

“You know the government is broke to the core. Even finding a fuel to put into an official car for official purpose require a strategy to get funds for it. Soldiers too had to eat, and this was not budgeted. So, the money must be found somewhere and collecting them from traders was one of the strategies to pay for these expenses and the Juba city council was given the responsibility to do that. And because of the envisioned resistance from traders, the soldiers were deployed for that purpose”, he explained.

Traders argued that they could not open their shops because they were unsure of the nature of protest, citing previous incidents in which shops were ransacked without government intervention.

Rights groups said security forces have arrested several people, including activists and a bishop, ahead of a botched mass protest.

Meanwhile, a police spokesman denied the arrests, but later explained that the deployment was to protect lives and properties.

The government was reacting to activities of a coalition of leaders of the civil society organisations calling on President Salva Kiir and the First Vice-President Riek Machar to step down.

The activists had planned nationwide protests, which the country's authorities quickly subdued.

Tensions were high and government officials, including Kiir and members of his administration were worried about the mass protests and heavily deployed security forces.

Observers say citizens easily accepted calls for mass protests because soldiers are underpaid and overlooked in promotions. Other reasons include political and economic stagnation, rampant corruption, growing nepotism in government and armed forces, insecurity and lack of empathy.

Political opponents and journalists argue that lack of political space to freely assemble, arbitrary arrest and detention explains why the country's citizens have lost faith in the coalition government.

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September 1, 2021- (KHARTOUM) - One policeman and a number of gunmen were wounded during armed clashes on Wednesday in Khartoum's suburb of Soba between government forces and gunmen affiliated with a signatory group called Third Front - Tamazuj.

The Sudanese interior ministry said the former rebels refused to leave a building in the Rahaf neighbourhood of the Soba area of Khartoum and opened fire on the police force that requested them to render the keys of the accommodations.

The group members were supposed to stay in the police building for one month after their arrival in Khartoum in November 2020.

The Sudanese police said that the armed group refused to vacate the residence and opened fire on the police, following what they request the support of a joint force involving the police, the army and the Rapid Support Forces.

The controversial group did not take part in the negotiations but joined the agreement later. Its leadership claims they were part of the SPLM-North but the latter denies that.

Tamazuj had already clashed with the security forces on 18 March of this year.

The group spokesman Mohamed Musa Badi said the " unfortunate " incident occurred due to the lack of written or verbal notification with the group.

Also, in a state released late on Wednesday evening, the SPLM-N Darfur Sector led by Saeed Youssif Mahel said the security forces attacked its members and injured several members of the group.

"There is a systematic targeting of some armed struggle leaders," said the group and warned they would retaliate if the government does not hold accountable the perpetrators of the attack.

The U.S. Embassy which has its building in Soba advised its personnel "to avoid all areas south of its location until further notice.

Tamazuj groups have been accused of being fabricated by the military intelligence to weaken the Juba Peace Agreement signatory groups as it gathers people from the border areas with South Sudan from Kordofan and Darfur regions.

Several members of this alliance were involved in robbery and looting attacks in the past months increasing the insecurity in the capital.

Analysts and commentators had warned that the non-implementation of the security arrangements would lead to such incidents.

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September 1, 2021 (JUBA) - Forces allied to South Sudan's First Vice President Riek Machar are purportedly moving towards an area occupied by forces under the command and leadership of his former chief staff, Simon Gatwech Dual, a spokesman said.

Riek Machar South Sudan FVP (Reuters photo)

Brigadier General William Gatjiath Deng, who ally himself with forces Gen. Dual has issued a statement warning of imminent attack by forces loyal to Machar.

These forces loyal to Machar, according to the statement, are under the direct command of Machar's spy chief General Yieh Dak.

“We have information indicating that they are on their way to attack our position. But let me assure the public as a matter of fact, the mighty forces of SPLA (IO) under command of the interim Chairman and Commander in Chief (C-in-C), 1st Lt-Gen Simon Gatwech Dual, are fully aware of your imminent attacks on our bases but they will be taught a good lesson at both”, reads a statement obtained by Sudan Tribune.

He added, "The merciless forces loyal to the former Chairman, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, are now on their way coming to attack the SPLA (IO) at Kit-gwang GHQs, as already exposed by their warmonger Gen.Yiey Dak, the director of national security who was giving the farewell salutation to their forces".

Deng accused Dak of being the mastermind of the split, warning that their forces are on high alert and will respond with a huge force to the hostile forces. Attempts to reach Machar's spokesman on military affairs for comment could not be successful. His known telephone line could not connect at the time of going to the press.

Sources with direct knowledge of the situation told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday that the two sides are preparing for all-out hostilities with a view to claim monopoly and exert control to gain legitimacy and recognition from the public and over the forces and territories in which they operate.

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August 31, 20121 (KHARTOUM) - The Chief of Staff of the Sudanese Armed Forces is visiting Doha for talks on military cooperation with Qatar, said the Sudanese Military Media on Tuesday.

Lt-Gen Mohamed Osman al-Hussein held a meeting with Lt-Gen Ghanim bin Shaheen Al-Ghanim, Chief of Staff of the Qatar Armed Forces, said the military media.

“The meeting touched on ways to strengthen relations between the two brotherly armies,” reads the statement.

Osman who arrived on Monday is expected to meet other military officials.

The two armies conducted joint military exercises in December 2019 in Arkweit of the Red Sea State.

In November 2014, the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on military cooperation between them in various fields.

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August 31, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - The head of the Sovereign Council and European Union diplomats to Khartoum Tuesday discussed the security situation in Darfur and the border dispute with Ethiopia.

European diplomats in Sudan from France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Sweden and the European Union met on Tuesday with Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to discuss the ongoing democratic transition in the country.

Following the meeting, the Head of the EU Delegation in Sudan Robert van den Dool told reporters that they had a “friendly and constructive” discussion on the transition including Hamdok's initiative and reiterated their call to form the transitional parliament.

“We also discussed the security situation in the country, the progress in the implementation of the security arrangements stipulated by the Juba Peace Agreement and the efforts by the government to maintain order, strengthen security, impose rule of law and combat crime,” Dool further said.

He said they underlined the need to protect displaced people and enforce the National Plan for the Protection of Civilians, pointing it was crucial for peacebuilding in the Darfur region.

The government has delayed the implementation of security measures in Darfur as uncontrolled combatants of former rebel groups participated in intercommunal clashes and some others are accused of robberies.

Also, the lack of funding prevents the launch of the implementation of measures aiming to compensate the displaced people or rehabilitating their areas of origin for their return.

In a letter to the UN Secretary-General in September 2019, Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok requested that his country be declared eligible for the UN Peacebuilding Fund.

Hamdok asked that the funding be allocated to support his government plans for security, durable solutions, and peacebuilding at the community level in Darfur.

The EU representative In Sudan said that the meeting discussed the situation in eastern Sudan, in Ethiopia and South Sudan.

“Sudan's strategic location is key to the stability of the region and we believe that any military escalation will negatively reflect on the peace, security and progress in the countries of the region,” Dool said.

The EU diplomats also expressed their commitment to support the transitional process and back the government's efforts to rebuild the Sudanese economy.

“We confirmed to his Excellency that the European Union will continue to support Sudan's transition to a civilian-led democratic government,” he said.

(ST)

August 31, 2021 (KAMPALA) - Uganda and South Sudan have agreed to patrol the Nimule-Juba highway where drivers and travellers have been attacked in the recent past.

General view of Juba Nimule road leading to Nimule Park and neighbouring Uganda (Pinterest photo)

The agreement follows the killing of travellers, including two Catholic nuns, by unknown militia on the road.

Uganda's First Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga tweeted on Monday that there would be police check points every 10km along the usually busy highway.

"Uganda has expressed its concerns at the continued assault, attacks and killings of Ugandan travellers on the Juba-Nimule sector. Agreement has been reached with South Sudan government to establish security patrols at every 10 kilometres mark protected by convoy escorts," she wrote.

Kadaga said chiefs of staffs from the two countries would hold a joint meeting next week.

"I have also drawn the attention of my counterparts to the common breach of the Common Market Protocal by South Sudan Govt," she added.

Last week, cross-border drivers from East African countries went on strike protesting against insecurity.

About 1,000 lorries from across East Africa have stopped at the main crossing point along the Nimule-Juba highway.

At least 30 traders and lorry drivers from across East Africa have been killed this year on the road.

Landlocked South Sudan heavily depends on its neighbours for essential supplies.

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Representatives of South Sudan government and SSOMA factions at a meeting mediated by the Sant'Egidio community in Rome, July 17, 2021 (courtesy photo)

August 31, 2021 (JUBA)- South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has halted his government's participation in the Rome talks with the South Sudanese Opposition Movement Alliance (SSOMA), dashing any prospects for peace in a country ruined by civil wars and rampant corruption.

“We have decided to pause the ongoing Sant'Egidio led Rome Peace initiative. Our pursuit of an inclusive peace should never be taken for weakness and used as a window to kill the innocent”, he said at the inauguration of the first session of parliament on Monday.

Kiir specifically singled out the National Salvation Front (NAS) headed by General Thomas Cirilo Swaka and set conditions for his government's resumption of the talks.

He held the hold-out group responsible for attacks on the Juba-Nimule highway on August 16, 2021 in which scores of people, including two catholic nuns, were killed.

None of the groups, however, claimed responsibility for the recent attacks.

"Talks with SSOMA will only resume after they cease killing the innocent people and show their commitment to documents they have signed in Rome. It is only when they meet these conditions that genuine dialogue will resume,” said Kiir.

The South Sudanese leader wondered why NAS continues to target civilians along the main roads, despite their commitment to the cessation of hostilities agreement.

“We have signed with Rome Declaration and Rome Resolutions with SSOMA and the re-commitment to Cessation of Hostilities in December 2017 and Declaration of Principles. The goal of signing these documents was to stop fighting and save innocent lives. These were our commitment to inclusivity”, he told legislators.

Kiir said documents signed by the group suspected to have carried out the attack with the government were also part of confidence-building aimed at achieving lasting peace in the country.

“Now that SSOMA is specifically the National Salvation Front elements continue to violate this commitment,” he stressed.

Government signed a peace deal with NAS and other holdout opposition groups in January 2020.

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August 31, 2021 (ZALINGEI) - One student was killed and 11 others wounded on Tuesday after police fired bullets to disperse protesters at the headquarters of the State Government and the University of Zalingei.

A group of university students organized a protest outside the University of Zalingei calling to develop student housing.

The police opened fire to disperse the protesters when they entered the university, eight students were wounded three of them are in critical condition.

To protest the use of bullets by the security forces at the university, the students went to the Central Darfur State Government buildings where the police opened fire again on the protesters killing one student and injured three others.

In a statement to the official news agency SUNA, Adeeb Abdel Rahman Youssif, the Governor of Central Darfur State, accused unnamed parties of "taking advantage of student demands to spread chaos and violence in the city".

He further announced that the State Security Committee had decided to impose a state of emergency and a curfew in the city.

The protesters attacked the government building inside the secretariat of the government of Central Darfur state and destroyed some vehicles.

A student group linked to the holdout Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdel Wahid al-Nur (SLM-AW) was accused by local officials of inciting and orchestrating the protest.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Musa Adam Ismail, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Zalingei condemned the use of fire against the protesters and called to investigate the incident and to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Also, the SLM-AW issued a statement to condemn the murder of the student and pointed an accusing finger to the security forces and the state security committee saying their bear the responsibility for the attack.

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August 30, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) accused the military component of the Sovereign Council of seeking to prohibit the employment of its members in the civil service.

"The military component and those around it instigate an employment ban on the communists in civil service, especially in the ministries of finance and foreign affairs," SCP Spokesman Fathi Fadl told the Sudan Tribune.

He pointed out that about 100 to 120 of its members who work in the ministries of foreign affairs, finance, health and education are subjected to restrictions because of their political affiliation.

The matter was on the agenda of a meeting they held with Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok last Saturday.

In addition, they handed over a letter including the names of the harassed members who pledged to take the needful.

"Attempting to politicize the civil service and attacking the communist workers can turn into a sword directed at any unwanted servant who by the influential parties in power," he said.

Fadl said that the applicants for the foreign ministry were surprised that the civil service interviews included a direct question: "Are you a communist or not?"

The Sudanese Communist Party criticized the economic reforms implemented by the transitional government and is no longer part of the ruling coalition Forces for Freedom and Change.

However, Hamdok has engaged a political dialogue with the left party with the hope that they would change their mind and back his government again.

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August 30, 2021 (KHARTOUM) — The transitional government on Monday launched a new national action plan to combat human trafficking in Sudan which is the primary transit country of migrants to Europe from the Horn of Africa.

With the participation of Justice Minister Nasreldine Abdel Bari and European Union Ambassador to Sudan Robert van den Dool, the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking (NCCT) inaugurated the National Action Plan for Combating Human Trafficking 2021-2023 in Sudan.

Undersecretary Ministry of Justice and NCCT Head Siham Osman stated that the three-year plan aims to curb human trafficking through several programmes to reduce poverty and offer new options for migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.

Also, the plan will ensure better protection and shelter for the victims including the establishment of specialised prosecutor offices and courts, cross-border cooperation and access for victims of trafficking to legal aid to improve investigation and prosecution.

The EU-supported action plan met the four core aspects to combating human trafficking including "Prevention, Protection, Prosecution and Coordination and Partnership," said Osman.

During the first six months of this year, 29122 illegal migrants reached Italian shores including 1,428 Eritreans, 1,309 Sudanese. The number of Ethiopians was insignificant.

From January 31 May 2021, Libyan authorities intercepted over two 2000 Sudanese seeking to cross the Mediterranean sea and reach Europe embarking on dangerous boats.

In his remarks, Abdel-Bari reiterated his government commitment that the plan to fight human trafficking would maintain "the human dignity; that we must respect and preserve, whether a person is living in his country, travels within or migrates to other countries."

According to the UNHCR data for the past seven months, migrants from Bangladesh tops the list of countries of illegal migration to Europe with 6951 migrants who cross the sea mainly from Libya.

The Trafficking in Persons Report 2021 by the U.S. Department of State said that the Sudanese authorities did not "fully meet the minimum standards" for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts" in this respect.

Accordingly, the State Department placed the east African country in its Tier 2 watchlist to encourage Sudanese efforts to meet the international standards.

For his part, the EU envoy said that Sudan had made efforts to combat human trafficking, including the investigation, prosecution of human traffickers, and protection of victims.

He further said that the three-year plan aims to enable Sudanese institutions with EU support to facilitate safe and legal migration, combating illegal migration, providing protection and creating livelihood opportunities.

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August 30, 2021 (JUBA) – South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has downplayed citizens' demand for him to step down, urging the population to prepare for general elections at the end of the transition period.

"Our final mandate in this process is to hold free, fair and credible democratic elections at the end of the transitional period," he said, while opening the country's national assembly on Monday.

Kiir was referring to long-awaited polls expected to be held in 2023.

The South Sudanese leaders told members of the new parliament to place the people of South Sudan above their party's interests.

Kiir, looking exhausted, said those calling for his exit are “ill” advised.

One of the notable provisions in the revitalized peace agreement is the security arrangement that advocates reunification of command of forces as an institutional attempt to reform the army in a way reflecting all faces of ethnic groups and regions making up the country.

Kiir, however, wants a 60% representation in the command of the unified forces, leaving the remaining 40% to other stakeholders in the agreement, an arrangement the parties, including the main opposition party under Riek Machar's leadership has rejected.

The stalemate has resulted in the delay to graduate troops from the cantonment sites and splitting in Opposition leadership.

Activists say the two leaders are unwilling to work together and will never work together even if they are allowed to stay in office for life. They are people with totally different political ambitions and ideologies with little interest in preserving greater good. Machar advocates democracy while Kiir oscillates between dictatorship and maintaining the status quo, causing brinkmanship and misery.

“These people [Kiir and Machar], even if they are allowed to stay together in power for life, which is what some of them want, and which is what others do not want because they also want to sit on that chair, they will never get together and work together. The only way is to force them out of the chair. They are a pure liability to the country”, a civil rights activist told Sudan Tribune on Monday.

“They were together in power for eight (8) years, what have they done to show that they prioritize the wellbeing of the people? They should just accept they have failed and go,” he added.

The activist said government is responsible for disruption of social media services and deployment of huge security forces to patrol all streets after calls for mass protests against bad governance.

“The continued intimidation and regular arrest of civil right activists, political opponents, and journalists is a clear and obvious proof of the government determined to stay in power”, he stressed.

Meanwhile, Stephan Lual Ngor, a leading member of the South Sudan Patriotic Movement (SSPM) has rejected calls to topple the transitional government and voiced his support for President Kiir.

"President Kiir is the best choice for peace and stability in South Sudan," he told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday, adding that a few numbers of youth-based outside the country and without real political support use social media to disturb the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement.

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August 30, 2021 (JUBA) - A prominent South Sudanese politician has said failed leadership in the young nation has turned the peoples' long-held demands and their hopes into a "nightmare".

Lam Akol (Photo Reutrers)

“Three decades ago, the true demand of our masses long abandoned was revived; two decades later full of hope they decided to have a country; and in the last decade their dreams were turned into a nightmare by a failed leadership. But their hope is much alive”, Lam Akol tweeted on Monday.

The opposition leaders tweet was in memory of the 1991 event in which a faction under Akol, Riek Machar and commander Gordon Koang Chuol, announced they have ascended to power, causing split into a Torit faction under former founding leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), John Garang de Mabior and Nasir faction under over all leadership and command of Riek Machar.

Machar, Akol and Chuol depicted themselves as advocates of secession, democracy, and human rights and branded Garang a "dictator" and someone wanting the south to fight for Sudan's unity.

The split caused destruction of properties and loss of lives as each side wanted to claim monopoly and control affairs of people and forces to gain recognition from the masses and global community.

The leaders, however, rejoined Garang's faction at different times in 2002 and 2003 after talks with Sudanese have started and a provision recognizing self-determination for the people of South Sudan to decide at referendum was included.

However, with the independence of the south, the two leaders pride themselves as among leaders who revived and advocated for secession and Akol celebrates every August 28, the day on which they made the declaration in 1991. He sees himself as a progressive politician and one who would make a positive and meaning impact in the lives of the people, if given the opportunity to propagate and freely sell his vision to the people.

Akol, who contested against the incumbent President Salva Kiir in the 2010 general elections, now heads the National Democratic Party (NDM), a non-violence political entity, but has pervasive influence and armed groups operating in his constituency.

The outspoken opposition leader hopes to ascend to power someday if there is a leveled ground to propagate his policies and talk to the people freely. He believes he could a make significant impact and difference since his popular in his constituency and among young people in the country as well as among educated class except his political competitors and people who see him as the architect behind the 1991 split.

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August 30, 2021 (JUBA) - South Sudanese authorities have temporarily blocked access to social media services across the country as part of security measures to abort calls for protests for peaceful regime change in the country scheduled for August 30, 2021.

Leaders of the civil society groups organizing for the mass protest say the plan has not changed but have decided to carry out more consultations with some top security officers, army generals and police services to provide protection to protesters and to ensure people with different agendas and interests do not take advantage to destroy properties and cause havoc and harms.

“The plan has not changed. It is still on course. People will go out, but we have just told them to wait for guidance from the central committee”, a leading activist told the Sudan Tribune on Monday.

Online services have experienced restriction on Saturday after the government ordered telecom companies to block access to social media platforms as a part of measures to curtail mass mobilization for protests through social media platforms.

Nonetheless, activists continued to reach the social media platforms via Virtual Private Networks (VPN).

Activists say the blockage of social media services, shut down of a radio station in Jonglei and arrest of a bishop in Yei County in Central Equatoria motivate their mobilization to protest for freedoms.

A police spokesman has denied any link between the arrest of a bishop, the closure of a radio station in Jonglei and calls for general protests in the country.

On Sunday, Information Minister Michael Makuei Lueth warned the public from taking part in the planned "illegal" protests on Monday.

Makuei further urged South Sudanese to support the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement and the government efforts to move the country forward.

The official Government spokesperson, also, directed the civil service personnel and the public at large to resume their normal duties as usual.

The leaders of the civil rights activists are asking people to take to the street and protest the inability of the government to curb corruption, stop recurring communal fights, and ensuring freedom of expression.

Continued intimidation and arrest of activists, journalists, and political opponents are clear and obvious lack of political will to enforce the key provisions of the 2018 revitalized peace agreement, they say.

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August 29, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan and Chad Sunday discussed ways to increase joint cooperation to address the security challenges facing the two counties particularly the armed groups in Libya.

Mohamat Idriss Deby Chairman of the Transitional Military Council (CMT) in Chad arrived in Khartoum on a two-day visit. He met with the Head of the Transitional Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok.

Also, Deby held a closed-door meeting with al-Burhan, followed by another meeting involving the Sudanese defence and interior ministers and the directors of general and military intelligence agencies.

The Chadian delegation included the foreign minister, minister of public security, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, director of the security agency and AbdelKerim Idriss Deby, Deputy Director of the President's Civil Office.

In a statement released on Sunday evening, the Chadian presidency said that the interim Chadian leader called to deepen the security cooperation based on the signed bilateral and regional agreements.

Deby called for "reciprocal solidarity" between the two countries to face security challenges posed by "the presence in southern Libya of the hordes of mercenaries that might carry out new attacks such as Chad has already experienced," said the presidency.

The statement further stressed that these mercenaries who are "recruited, trained, supervised, armed and financed by foreign powers (...) must not be allowed to leave Libya because they pose a serious threat to the stability and security of both Chad and Sudan".

It was purported that the Russian Wanger militia group trained the Chadian rebel groups in Libya who sought to take power in Chad last April.

The Libyan warring parties hired rebel groups from Chad and Sudan to fight along with their forces. The civil war in the northern African country provided them with an opportunity to survive and rebuild their structures.

The Sudanese presidency said al-Burhan recalled the "great joint security operations" and called to develop it.

He further called on extend this cooperation to the economic sector and supporting social coexistence before underscoring that "there are many cooperation agreements between the two countries that must be activated for the benefit of the people."

When the rebels carried out their attack, Sudan deployed troops on the border areas to prevent them from controlling areas in far eastern Chad near Sudan. The attackers were forced to return to southern Libya.

Musa al-Koni Vice-President of the Libyan Presidential Council visited this week Khartoum and Ndjamena where he agreed with the Sudanese and Chadian leaders to activate a joint security agreement involving Niger.

In his meeting with Hamdok, Deby discussed economic cooperation between the two countries.

Also, the Sudanese Foreign Minister Mariam al-Mahdi discussed with her Chadian counterpart bilateral relations and the need to include neighbouring countries in the international meetings to bring stability in Libya.

(ST)

August 28, 2021 (JUBA) - Some twenty people are killed and over 20,000 displaced following the intercommunal fighting in Western Equatoria state, according to a statement released by the National Salvation Front (NAS).

Since last July armed clashes have erupted in Tombura County between the Azande and Balanda ethnic groups.

The UN Mission in South Sudan UNMISS deployed patrols to protect civilians but the violence continued in the area.

In a statement extended t the Sudan Tribune the non-signatory NAS said the clashes affected several areas including Yubu, Akpa, Mabenge, Kpatanyayo among others.

"Over twenty Thousand (20,000) people were displaced, and about twenty people killed (20)," said the statement before mentioning the murder of the former Commissioner of Tombura County, Babiro Charles Gbamsi who was killed in his house on 24 August.

NAS which gathers fighters from the two ethnic groups called on the two sides to stop violence adding that the rift will only profit to the "conflict entrepreneurs" in Juba.

The statement further accused the government of President Salva Kiir of encouraging the hostilities the intercommunal fighting.

In return, it hailed the efforts of the religious communities to promote the peaceful resolution of the conflict and UNMISS for providing humanitarian assistance to the affected civilians.

The non-signatory group called on the International Community especially the AU, UN and TROIKA to press the government in Juba not to instigate conflicts among the communities of South Sudan.

On 12 August, UNMISS estimated that over 30,000 people have been displaced and some 500 households are camping in a church compound in Mupoi Payam.

(ST)