Kiir told to pay peace forces decent salary to fight off crimes

JUBA – Prominent South Sudan Activist Edmund Yakani is appealing to President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s government to pay the newly graduated unified forces a decent salary as a way of fighting off crimes such as unknown gunmen.

Yakani who is the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) made the remarks during the graduation ceremony conducted at Dr. John Garang De Mabior Mausoleum in Juba on Tuesday for the first batch of the unified forces.

The outspoken and prominent activist hailed the graduation of the first batch of the unified forces as a show of will and urged the government of President Kiir to pay the peace soldiers good salary to fight off crimes such as the unknown gunmen which has terrorized citizens in Juba.

“Your Excellency President Salva Kiir, the graduation of the unified forces now is what we call political will, political commitment and primary responsibility to implement the R-ARCSS. Your Excellency president these are good soldiers with good uniform but you should give them good money to their pockets,” Yakani said.

“If they are well paid they will stand up in preventing activities of unknown gunmen, deadly armed violence, wrong roadblocks and armed robbery,” the activist added.

Yakani further said that “This graduation is a demonstration of political will that we wanted to see three years ago, but it is better than never. It is your primary responsibility as our leadership to deliver this country from violence to peace.”

“For us as civil society, we need to be engaged in all national political process and consultations without any form of restrictions,” he stressed.

According to the revitalized peace agreement, all the forces “shall be trained together to ensure coherence and harmony” and “On the completion of training the unified forces shall be redeployed at different levels and sizes (units, formations and commands).”

Kiir, in an order of allegiance read out during the graduation ceremony Dr. John Garang de Mabior Mausoleum by the presidential affairs minister, who doubles as the Commander-in-Chief of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) graduated a total number of 21,973 of the peace forces.

That figure includes 3,308 VIP protection forces of the unified SSPDF, and 4,366 personnel into the unified South Sudan National Police Service.

The president also integrated 6,315 personnel into the unified National Security Service, and 1,120 personnel into a unified National Prison service.

Separately, Kiir integrated 3,575 personnel into the unified National Wildlife Service and 3,289 into the unified National Civil Defense Service.