JUBA – South Sudan transitional government said Thursday that it will graduate the first batch of the unified forces provided for in the revitalized peace agreement after the Easter holidays.
This came after President Salva Kiir formed a unified armed forces command structure that integrates opposition commanders into the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces, the official name of the country’s army, police, national security, civil defense, and the wildlife on Tuesday this week.
It follows last week’s deal between President Kiir and opposition groups on the sharing of key positions in the army and security forces.
The president’s faction has a 60% representation in the command structure while the opposition occupies the remaining 40%.
Tut Galuak, Presidential advisor on National Security Affairs said the technical committee will draw the timetable for the graduation of forces after the Easter celebration.
“We are ready for graduation, after the Easter celebration the technical committee will come up with the decision to draw the timetable for the graduation of forces,” Gatluak said during a press conference in Juba this afternoon.
Gatluak who is also Chairperson of the National Transitional Committee (NTC), the body charged with overseeing the implementation of the peace deal said the second batch of unified forces will commence after passing out of the first batch.
“The first batch of the unified forces will be graduated, and the second phase will begin training forces in various training centers, and that will conclude the transitional security arrangements,” he said.
He attributed the delay to graduate 53,000 personnel to take charge of security during the ongoing transitional period to a lack of financial support.
“With regard to the peace deal, we sign the peace agreement and we did not receive any financial support from any country, we receive medicines and military uniforms, we spent two years,” he said.
He said the forces would be immediately deployed across the country after graduation.
“We do not have weapons as a result of arms embargo but the unification of command was the major obstacle, the president has resolved that problem, and the forces will be graduate and deployed across the country,” he said.
“We do not want to fight ourselves, we need the army to protect the people and protect the country, there is no need to return to war, we need to develop the security and the military to protect our country we need freedom for all our citizens across the country.”
Under the 2018 revitalized peace deal, South Sudan is supposed to train and graduate 83,000 personnel to take charge of security during the ongoing transitional period. These troops will make up the police, army, intelligence, and prison services.
The transitional unity government, formed in February 2020, has in the past cited financial constraints for the delay in the graduation of unified forces.