South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit is expected to address the nation today.

Government spokesperson Michael Makuei told Radio Tamazuj that President Kiir will address the current tensions in Juba and the progress in the implementation of the 2018 peace agreement.

“The president has a press conference at 3 pm and he will discuss all these issues including rumors of tensions in Juba and the implementation of the peace agreement,” he said.

Tension has been rising between the two main parties to the agreement since last week following reports of attacks on military bases of both the SSPDF and the SPLM-IO.

On Tuesday, SPLM/A-IO announced they will no longer grace security mechanisms meetings, pronouncing them insignificant in the discharge of the peace agreement because attacks on their forces have continued despite numerous reports.

On Thursday, fighting broke out between the two parties in parts of Upper Nile State. The parties accused each other of attacking their defensive positions.

In a bid to unify the command of forces, President Kiir on Friday issued a presidential decree in which he relinquished three positions of command in the military and two in the National Police Service to the SPM/A-IO and SSSOA.

However, the SPLM/A-IO have rejected the move saying it was unilateral and was in contravention of the peace agreement. 

Machar in a statement on Saturday said, ‘this was a unilateral decision on his part. This coupled with the declaration of war by the Spokesperson of SSPDF on 24th March has clearly demonstrated not only the lack of political will to implement the Agreement but the intention to abrogate it, from the part of our partner ITGONU.’

Peace monitors and activists have called for investigations into the clashes and urgent intervention to avert a possible return to conflict.