ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an eight-country east African bloc, on Saturday condemned the detention and assault of a peace monitoring team in South Sudan.
IGAD condemned in a statement the violation of a recently signed ceasefire agreement following the "detention, assault and abuse" of the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mission (CTSAMVM) team members by security forces in South Sudan.
"It was with deep shock the IGAD Council of Ministers came to learn about the detention, physical assault and abuse perpetrated upon CTSAMVM team on December 18 at Lure Training Center by men in military uniform and civilian attires of the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU)," said the statement.
"Such brutal act is not only a flagrant violation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan signed by the TGoNU and the Opposition Parties of South Sudan, but also a grave violation of the human rights of the individual victims," it said.
IGAD called on the Transitional Government of National Unity of South Sudan to immediately investigate the violation, bring the perpetrators and their pertinent superiors to justice, and apologize to the victims and the countries they represent for the criminal act committed.
It also further requested the transitional government to notify the IGAD's council of ministers on measures taken "as a matter of urgency."
The council also urged all signatories and non-signatories to the latest peace accord to fully cooperate with CTSAMVM and other peace monitoring institutions.
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on late Friday also strongly condemned the assault and detention of the peace monitoring team, which took place on December 18 in South Sudan's Luri area.
