South Sudan monitors say situation of peace forces ‘desperate’ despite gov’t claims it nears graduation

JUBA – South Sudan peace monitoring body, the Ceasefire Transitional Security Arrangement, Monitoring, and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM), has said that the conditions in cantonment sites and training centers remain dire as soldiers continue to lack food and medicines.

Speaking during Board Meeting of Ceasefire Transitional Security Arrangement, Monitoring, and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) in Juba on Friday, Maj. Gen. Teshome Gemechu Aderie, head of the peace monitoring body said there has been no progress in training and cantonment sites.

“The situation at cantonment sites continues to be desperate and CTSAMVM has observed no progress. The situation with training and vacation of civilian buildings, unfortunately, remains the same with no observed progress since the last Board Meeting,” Gemechu said.

Gemechu expressed concerns over the slow implementation of the critical pre-transitional tasks of cantonment and training of the Necessary Unified Forces and said the body has asked the regional bloc, IGAD, to pressure the parties to the revitalized peace agreement.

“We have expressed our concerns and we strongly recommended IGAD and RJMEC to urge the parties to take immediate action on these activities so that the required security arrangements can be implemented,” he stated.

He called on IGAD to push South Sudanese parties to graduate the necessary unified forces.

“We call upon IGAD and RJMEC to urge the parties involved to take the necessary steps to avoid clashes and adhere to the ceasefire as well as the protection of civilians,” he said.

Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang, spokesman for South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) admitted that conditions in cantonment and training centers remain dire but said efforts are underway to graduate the forces.

“The challenges are still the same in training centers and that is challenges of uniforms, lack of food in training centers, lack of medical services and shelters,” Koang said.

Under the 2018 revitalized peace deal, JDB is charged with the responsibility of organizing, training, and professionalizing the unified army while NTC supervises the implementation of the entire peace deal.

The parties to the peace deal are behind schedule when it comes to training and graduation of expected 83,000 unified forces to take charge of security during the ongoing transitional period.