JUBA, March 5 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan's peace monitors on Thursday condemned an attack that occurred over the weekend in Abiemnom County and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities across the country.
The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC), the body overseeing the peace agreement in the country, denounced the acts of violence, saying they undermine efforts to restore lasting peace and stability and further compound the country's already dire humanitarian situation.
"RJMEC calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities across the country, the de-escalation of tensions, the prevention of further violence, and the urgent commencement of an inclusive political dialogue," it said in a statement issued in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.
The statement came after reports that the death toll from the attack had risen to 178 from 169, following the deaths of several victims from injuries sustained in the assault at a hospital in Abyei.
According to RJMEC, such attacks against civilians and public officials occurred amid escalating hostilities and armed clashes involving some signatory parties to the revitalized peace agreement and their affiliates, which continue to erode peace and public confidence across the country.
The peace monitors called on the authorities to investigate the incident and ensure those responsible are identified and held accountable.
It also urged the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism, a multinational mechanism led by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, to conduct a prompt, comprehensive and impartial investigation to establish the full circumstances surrounding the attack.
RJMEC further appealed to humanitarian agencies and relevant stakeholders to consider scaling up support for the affected population.
The Ruweng Administrative Area, an oil-rich area in South Sudan, has long been a flashpoint for intercommunal violence and political tensions between rival armed groups.
Tensions in Abiemnom County of Ruweng have remained high since Feb. 27, with about 1,000 civilians seeking protection at a base of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan. Since then, peacekeepers have maintained an enhanced protective presence to reinforce community security around the base. ■
