The SPLA has reiterated its rejection for the presence of SPLM in Opposition forces in Bahr el Ghazal and Equatoria regions.

The peace agreement states that all forces from both the government and opposition should be confined in cantonment sites, to prevent them from violating the ceasefire by attacking each other.

It states that both sides should declare their cantonment sites to the Ceasefire Transitional Security Arrangement Mechanism.

While in the cantonment areas, the troops can then be trained and reintegrated to form a joint force.
The SPLM in opposition says it has cantonment areas across the country, but the government argues that the group only has presence in the Greater Upper Nile.

“We do not have SPLA forces present in Greater Equatoria and Greater Bahr Al Ghazal. What we have been dealing with are armed robbers, we have been dealing with bandits, who have been attacking civilians on major highways that are leading to Wau and out of Wau and other villages,” Brigadier Lul Ruai Koang, the SPLA Spokesperson.

“They have been robbing of their property, and in some situation they have been killing civilians.”
“The SPLA IO has a big presence in the former Upper Nile, and not the whole of Greater Upper Nile, they have presence in former Unity state, most parts of Eastern Nile,” he said, rejecting presence of the opposition forces in former Greater Jonglei.

“They have presence in Greater Akobo, the current Eastern Nile state and Fangak state. They do not have presence at all in Bor and Buma state.”

“So they have presence in Greater upper Nile, we have no quarrel about it.”

However, the SPLM in opposition insists that they have cantonment areas in the Bahr Al Ghazal and Equatoria regions.
“The truth is that we are present in Greater Equatoria with cantonment areas in Western Equatoria, which has even been approved by the CTSAMM two months ago,” said the Opposition Spokesman, William Ezekiel.

“Even in Bahr Al Ghazal, we are there in Greater Bahr Al Ghazal, we are there in Western Bahr Al Ghazal, we have presence in Northern Bahr Al Ghazal and we have presence in Warrap state and even in Lakes state. There is no dispute over this thing.”

For its part, the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangement Monitoring Mechanism says the SPLM/A and SPLM/A in Opposition are yet to sit down to discuss the matter and come up with final resolution.