Bol Mel urges political parties to disband military wings

JUBA – The Vice President and Chairman of Economic Cluster, Benjamin Bol Me, has called on political parties with military wings to disband them and recognise the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) as the sole legitimate national army.

Mr Bol, who was sworn in as the First Deputy Chairman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), said during the oath-taking ceremony Thursday that for South Sudan to prosper, a central army under one command is key.

“For our nation to develop to its potential, we cannot compromise on peace, unity, and security. SPLM has no military wing, nor does it need one. We gave SPLM to the people of South Sudan and placed our full trust in the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces, the only legitimate national army,” Bol said.

The Vice President highlighted that the SPLM shelved its military wing in recognition of the SSPDF and that all parties follow the same trajectory.

“SPLM came with SPLA, not because SPLA was abolished, but for the sake of the people of South Sudan, we made one army for one nation. For this matter, I urge all political parties to do the same; all political parties. You’re not allowed to have military wings,” he stated.

“The South Sudan People’s Defence Forces is the only and only army. South Sudan has only one president, one government, and one Commander-in-Chief, His Excellency President Salva Kiir Mayardit, and that is a constitutional order which must be held by all,” Bol reiterated.

While the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan recognises armed opposition groups and provides for power sharing and security arrangements, Bol described the existence of opposition armies as a violation of democratic norms.

“No political party has the right to control a militia or be led by a self-declared commander-in-chief. This is a dangerous and unacceptable breach of democratic norms. We must put an end to this madness; it’s crazy. No one is above the law. Any group or individual operating as such must be held accountable,” he urged.

Bol, a businessman-turned-politician who rose swiftly to the echelon of power in 2025, called for the exclusion of parties with parallel armies from the peace agreement in a potential abrogation of the deal revived in 2020.

“Those who bear arms illegally must disarm and align with national legitimate institutions and leadership. Political parties with private armies cannot and must not be part of the peace processes, democratic processes, or indeed the 2026 election processes,” he stated.

South Sudan heads for a fateful democratic election in 2026 for the first time since gaining independence in 2011 after postponing the polls twice, citing the lack of completion of the key components of the agreement and resource constraints.

“As we all know, elections must be held in 2026 without extension. For the SPLM, that’s [Kiir] our leader, we are going for 2026, and we’ll take him there. I therefore call upon the people of South Sudan and international democratic communities to reject all armed groups operating outside the law,” he reiterated.

While Bol did not mention a political party during his acceptance speech, it was widely viewed that the Vice President aimed at the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) led by detained First Vice President Riek Machar.

The opposition movement’s military wing, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA-IO), repeatedly clashed with the SSPDF since the inception of the political crisis in March.

There have been no immediate reactions from political parties on the statement issued by Bol, who is currently sanctioned by the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).