Unveiling a potential breach: Hundreds of Recruits being trained in Aweil again

AWEIL – A Sudans Post investigation has unearthed evidence suggesting the South Sudanese government might be training hundreds of new recruits in Aweil, the capital of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State.

This potentially violates the revitalized peace agreement, which prohibits the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) from such activities.

Our investigation revealed recruits, initially promised integration into the SSPDF, undergoing training at the Mathiang facility within Aweil town. Sources estimate the number around 573.

Some individuals who arrived in November intending to join the army say they were persuaded to enroll in the police force instead.

One recruit, Piol from Nyamlel town, was initially convinced by friends to join the army. Upon reaching Mathiang in December 2023, he was informed he would be trained as a police officer, with a potential transfer to the army later.

“I came to Aweil to see my cousin and learned about the army recruitment,” Piol reported. “I approached commanders at Mathiang and was accepted, but they said I’d be trained as a police officer first, and then we’d see about transferring me to the army.”

Similar stories emerged from other recruits. Garang, now in police attire, confirmed joining the training over a month ago and expects to graduate by March.

“When I joined on Christmas Eve, they said it would be a three-month program,” Garang stated. “January and February are left, and I’ll graduate in March.”

These revelations raise alarms given the peace agreement’s explicit prohibition on recruiting new members into both parties involved in the 2013-2018 conflict. This follows a previous Sudans Post investigation in November 2023, which exposed the training of over 3,000 new army recruits.

The agreement emphasizes a gradual and inclusive process for reunifying government forces and armed groups into a professional national security force, aiming to foster unity and stability. Interviews with three additional recruits corroborated these findings.

Duang, an Aweil resident, described joining in January and undergoing training until March before deployment to Juba.

“We were two who joined in December but started training on January 7^th, 2024,” Duang said. “Another friend joined in early January. We expect graduation in March, and we have been told that we will be deployed to Juba, the capital of South Sudan.”

This collective testimony underscores concerns about an expedited training schedule and suggests a systematic pattern of covert recruitments, potentially undermining the peace agreement’s objectives and raising fears of violence ahead of South Sudan’s elections in 2024.

The gravity of this potential violation is amplified by the international community’s close scrutiny of South Sudan’s commitment to the peace process. The clandestine nature of these recruitments raises serious questions about transparency and the government’s dedication to building a stable and peaceful nation.

Additionally, Sudans Post captured a video of the recruits engaged in a morning running exercise. All appear to have shaved heads, typically done at the beginning of military training. This further corroborates concerns about the program’s true nature and potential violation of the peace agreement.

 

One recruit, who refused to be identified for fear of reprisal, said they were told they would be guarding elections in December. “We have been told that we will be deployed in towns like Juba, Wau, and Aweil to oversee the conduct of elections,” they said. “They said this is the primary objective of the recruitment.”

South Sudan is expected to hold its first election in December this year, but there is no clarity if it will be conducted. While President Salva Kiir says elections will take place, opposition leaders like Riek Machar argue the country is not ready.

He emphasizes the need to unify forces into a professional army, as stipulated in the peace agreement, to ensure election security.