NAS: Looming SSPDF dry season offensive is a doomed and futile exercise
The National Salvation Front (NAS) has warned that Salva Kiir’s lack of political will together with plans to launch a new dry-season offensive on NAS bases is an exercise of futility as it will only lead to the displacement of innocent civilians and disruption of access to humanitarian corridors.
NAS made the statement in a press release issued Thursday, January 7, 2021 after intelligence reports from several frontlines alerted about the impending offensive.
20210107 NAS Latest Press Release on Impending Dry Season Offensive
“NAS military command in the field is closely observing and monitoring these hostile military activities taking place in the areas of Limbe, Lasu, Morobo in Yei area; Lobonok and Rokon in Central Equatoria; Mundri and Jambo in Western Equatoria, and around Torit and Magwi in Eastern Equatoria State.
The regime of Salva Kiir is ailing from serious lack of political will to achieve sustainable peace in the country. These plans are desperate maneuvers which are short-lived and doomed to fail miserably.
“The looming SSPDF dry season offensive is an exercise in futility,” and adding that “This dry season offensive of the regime will only lead to the displacement of innocent civilians and disruption of access to humanitarian corridors.”
The statement also called on Kiir’s regime to see reason in seeking a political solution to addressing the root causes of the conflict in the country.
“The Leadership of NAS calls on the regime to abandon the path of war and engage in good faith to address the root causes of the conflict in the negotiation process.”
However, NAS reassures its members and the people of South Sudan that it stands resolute in adhering to the right of self-defense and the noble duty of protecting the lives and property of innocent civilians while remaining committed to the December 2017 Cessions of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA), and to the January 2020 Rome Declaration.