Kiir, Machar to graduate over 20K peace forces on Friday

JUBA — South Sudan is set to graduate more than 20,000 unified forces in Bahr el Ghazal on 4th November, a senior official revealed on Monday.

Maj. Gen. Rabi Mujung, senior party representative at Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) said plans are underway to graduate unified forces from Masna Biira, Mapel, and Pantit training centers in Greater Bahr el Ghazal.

“I am sure the plans for the graduation of the unified forces in Greater Bahr el Ghazal are in progress and possibly on the 4 of next month, they will be graduated,” Majung said during regular RJMEC monthly meetings held in Juba on Monday.

General Mujung said the graduation of troops in Bahr el Ghazal will be followed by Upper Nile

“Then followed by the forces in Unity State and then Greater Upper Nile,” He said.

The forces in Bahr el Ghazal were supposed to be passed out on 21st September, while those in the Upper Nile region on 30th September but it was postponed due to logistical challenges.

Since August 30th, the transitional unity government has so far passed a total of 23,000 unified forces made up of police, wildlife, prisons, intelligence services, and army in the greater Equatoria region alone.

Under the 2018 revitalized peace deal, 83,000 unified forces are supposed to be graduated to take charge of security during the ongoing transitional period that elapses in 2025.

A total of 52,000 forces make up the first batch of forces but this target has not yet been fully achieved.