President Kiir declares ceasefire

The Niles | Samir Bol

The unilateral cessation of hostilities announced by Presidential Spokesperson Ateny Wek Ateny, came after days of fierce fighting between the government and SPLA-IO forces.

President Kiir ordered the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and all other regular forces not to shoot any SPLA-In Opposition soldiers who surrender.

Forces are hereby directed to cease any hostility and abide by this order, control their forces and protect the civil population and their property.

“All the commanders of these forces are hereby directed to cease any hostility and abide by this order, control their forces and protect the civil population and their property,” the presidential order directed.

“All the commanders deployed at the checkpoints within Juba city, shall reduce and limit such checkpoints to only essential and important installations,” the presidential order further states.

Machar has subsequently declared a ceasefire, ordering his forces to stop fighting.

After the ceasefire announcement by President Kiir, Juba was rocked by celebratory gunfire.

Fighting already erupted on Friday July 8, at the State House in Juba, while President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar, as well as Vice President James Wani Igga met to discuss insecurity in South Sudan’s capital, just days before the country marked its fifth independence anniversary on July 9.

South Sudanese rivals Machar and Kiir signed a peace agreement in August 2015 after a civil war that started in December 2013 as a result of a power struggle within the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM). Over 10,000 people are believed dead and 2.3 million people fled their homes.