Briefly

SOUTH SUDAN

Military vows to retaliate against rebel group

South Sudan's military said on Monday it will retaliate against attacks by militia group, the National Salvation Front, or NAS, led by renegade general Thomas Cirilo which previously opted out of a 2018 revitalized peace deal. Lul Ruai Koang, military spokesperson warned that they are ready to retaliate against the NAS in case of continued attacks on their positions and on civilians. Koang said in a statement: "The South Sudan People's Defense Force reaffirms commitment to the Rome declaration, but reserves the right to respond with deadly force in self-defense and that of civilians and their properties". The NAS refused to sign the revitalized peace deal to end the more than five years of conflict, since the outbreak in December 2013, as it called for renegotiation of the peace pact to include a federal system of governance. This came following last week's deadly ambush by the rebel group on the convoy of James Wani Igga, second vice-president, which left six of his bodyguards dead. The NAS, a rebel group fighting against the government in Central and Western Equatoria State, recently claimed responsibility for the attack that took place at Lobonok.