SSPDF spokesperson Major General Lul Ruai Koang announced the directive in a statement on Sunday, adding that a special committee would be established to manage the integration process and stressing that the army would not hesitate to use force against any members who defy the order.
“Members of the Red Belt are hereby ordered to join the SSPDF with their personal and support weapons. A committee will be formed and dispatched to Malual-Chat Barracks to receive members of the group joining the army,” Lul stated.
He described the move as a “golden opportunity” for the militia to join the national armed forces, warning of immediate consequences for refusal.
“Members declining this golden opportunity and honour to serve will face forceful disarmament at the earliest time possible,” Lul added in a strongly worded statement issued by the SSPDF Directorate of Media and Press.
The SSPDF also issued a similar, separate warning to armed youth operating in Warrap State, giving them a 21-day window to voluntarily surrender their weapons before the army initiates a comprehensive disarmament operation.
“Armed youth in Greater Warrap are hereby ordered to voluntarily hand over their weapons to the SSPDF within 21 days. Failure to comply will result in the launch of a forceful disarmament exercise,” the army cautioned.
The latest directives follow a previous order in June this year, where armed civilians in Warrap State and Mayom County of Unity State were given one week to voluntarily surrender their firearms, subsequent to President Salva Kiir’s declaration of a state of emergency and the deployment of joint security forces.
Meanwhile, a separate order was issued to the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO), instructing its members to report to the nearest SSPDF barracks as part of preparations for the long-delayed second phase of the Transitional Security Arrangements under the peace agreement.
“Members of SPLA-IO are ordered to report to the nearest SSPDF barracks in preparation for the commencement of the second phase of the transitional security implementation. Those who fail to comply will be treated as hostile forces and will face the full force of the national army,” the statement read.
These new military orders escalate tensions between government and opposition forces and raise concerns regarding the fragile implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
Efforts to advance the peace process are further complicated by the ongoing detention of opposition leader Riek Machar, the principal signatory to the peace agreement, who currently faces charges of murder and treason.
