CEPO Executive Director Edmund Yakani [File photo]

CEPO urges Gen. Olony, Gen. Gatwech to ceasefire in Upper Nile

The Executive Director for Community Empowerment and Progress Organization, Edmund Yakani is calling on the SPLA-IO Kit-gwang splinter group of General Simon Gatwech and General Johnson Olony of the Agwelek forces to cease the ongoing fighting of their forces.

The Executive Director for Community Empowerment and Progress Organization, Edmund Yakani is calling on the SPLA-IO Kit-gwang splinter group of General Simon Gatwech and General Johnson Olony of the Agwelek forces to cease the ongoing fighting of their forces. 

Yakani’s calls come barely a day after 23 civilians were killed in Fashoda by the two fighting groups.

In a statement extended to Radio Tamazuj on Friday, activist Edmund Yakani termed the conflict in Upper Nile as a proxy war and that it will constitute grave human rights violations.

“I would like to take this opportunity to continuously raise my concerns for the forces that are fighting in some parts of Upper Nile particularly in Fashoda and Panyikang. I would like to take this opportunity to call upon them to stop the continuous senseless war among their forces. Their war does not justify any political objectives apart from a war of individuals who want to continue subjecting communities to face human rights atrocities. What is going on is not justifiable, it is not politically responding to any political call for national interest,” he said.

Yakani added, “We have seen the deaths that are going on among their fighting forces and mainly the youth from the Agwelek youth and youth from the white army. They are making our youth to lose their lives for wars which are senseless. I would like to take this opportunity to call upon General Johnson Olony and General Gatwech to please stop the fighting. Ceasefire and opt to use dialogue as a method of resolving your political differences.”

Yakani said the continuous violence perpetrated by the two groups among communities is a crime against humanity and a violation to international humanitarian law.

“The trade of blame that is going on is not justifiable and we don’t really believe that trade of accusation meets any objectives apart from perpetuating violence that cause our communities to face human rights violations or really suffer from humanitarian situations and this is happening in the face of the floods. So I call upon Simon Gatwech and Johnson Olony to Ceasefire and after ceasefire use dialogue as a method to resolving your crisis,” stated Yakani.

The activist also called on the revitalized government to take all measures to stop the ongoing vilence in Upper Nile region. He said, “we believe that that war is a proxy war, it is a war sponsored, and it is a war some few individuals are behind because where does Simon Gatwech and Johnson Olony get those bullets they are using for fighting all these months to fight if there is no supplier?”

He also called on the IGAD leadership in Khartoum to look into the war critically to avoid escalation of the conflict.

At least 23 civilians have been killed in Fashoda by the rebel fighters allied to General Johnson Olony and General Simon Gatwech since the beginning of this month.