Kiir, Machar push graduation of peace forces in Bentiu, Malakal to next week

JUBA – South Sudan parties to the revitalized peace agreement have extended the graduation of the Necessary Unified Forces (NUF) in Unity State’s capital Bentiu and Upper Nile State’s capital Malakal to next week, a senior army officer has said.

In an exclusive interview with Sudans Post this afternoon, Brig. Gen. Wijang Duop, a member of the Joint Defense Board (JDB) said the graduation of forces in Malakal would be conducted on November 21, while the one in Bentiu will be conducted on November 26.

“The parties have extended the graduation of unified forces in Bentiu and Malakal to next week. This agreement was reached after a deliberation on several factors by the Joint Defense Board (JDB) and these new dates were agreed upon in good faith by the parties,” he said.

Brig. Gen. Wijang who is also the spokesman of the forces belonging to South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA), a major signatory to the revitalized peace agreement, blamed logistical challenges for the decision of the parties to push the graduation to next week.

“You, we have a lot of challenges and you know that we are implementing the security arrangement with less resources and that is why logistical challenges including the transportation of senior army officers to those areas was an issue,” he said.

“But now, it has been resolved that the graduation will take place no matter what on Monday, for Malakal, and Saturday for Bentiu. This will be the last dates and the parties will at that point have completed the phase one of the graduation and training of forces,” he added.

Brig. Gen. Wijang further said that “the cantonment, assembling and training of the second batch of the necessary unified forces will commence immediately after the graduation of the forces in Bentiu and Malakal because those would be the last batches in the first phase of the security arrangements.”