SPLA-IO command unveils plan to screen own forces

JUBA — South Sudan’s main armed Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) led by the country’s First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar, has unveiled plans to start screening its own forces in various 18 training centers across the country to prepare them for graduation.

This was disclosed by SPLA-IO Spokesman, Colonel Lam Paul Gabriel after a meeting of top commanders in Juba this morning.

“The SPLA-IO has resolved to send its component of the committees to the training centers to do the screening of the forces without any resources. We know, we will force the challenge of transportations but we task our leadership to be able to get us transport so that we are able to reach these training centers,” Gabriel told reporters after meeting the top SPLA-IO commanders in Juba.

 Gabriel said that SPLA-IO has been directed to report to their respective centers for the screening.

“We know there are forces that are still outside training centers and we know that there are challenges of lack of food in training centers and the SPLA-IO has decided to face these challenges together with the forces in the training centers by sending these committees to do their job regardless of these challenges,” he said

He called on the SSPDF and SSOA to start screening its forces to pave way for the graduation of unified forces stipulated in the 2018 peace deal.

“The SPLA-IO is going to consult with the SSPDF and SSOA and IGP of the police to be able to also send their team because we can’t wait for resources and let these forces suffer in the training centers and halt the agreement. We want to make sure this security arrangement moves forward,” he said.

“We will consult with the SSPDF command and national police command so that they can also send their team in so that when we are done with screening, we can unify the forces training centers so that graduation can be done,” he added.

He called on the CTSAMVM and UN to provide the necessary logistics required to facilitate the screening processes.

“The SPLA-IO leadership is calling upon implementing partners of this agreement like UN and CTSAMVM to transport these committees to places that are not accessible,” he said.

He said the presidency has directed the SPLA-IO, SSPDF, and SSOA to carry out their screenings separately to unified forces in military formation.