SSPDF troops will perform well in DR Congo mission – defense minister

JUBA, MARCH 5, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – South Sudan’s newly-appointed minister of defense Chol Thon Balok has said that his country’s soldiers who were dispatched to take part in the EAC stabilization force in the Democratic Republic of Congo will perform well in their mission.

The senior government official made the remarks after the world’s youngest country dispatched off another batch of 300 soldiers to the war-ravaged DR Congo on Monday where they will join about 700 colleagues who were sent months ago.

In December 2022, President Salva Kiir Mayardit flagged off 750 SSPDF soldiers for the mission. The soldiers reached DR Congo recently almost fourth months after departing Juba.

The seven countries of the East African Community (EAC) which DRC joined this year, agreed in April 2022 to set up a force to fight militia groups in the East.

South Sudan will be the fourth country to deploy troops after contingents of Kenya, Burundi, and Uganda arrived in the area.

Speaking to reporters at Juba International Airport on Monday as he sees of the troops, Gen. Chol who was appointed on Thursday last week as minister of defense and veterans’ affairs said the troop will be deployed to Joint Regional forces headquartered at Goma and said the troops are well-trained and will perform well.

“I have no doubt at all that our men and women will perform well in the mission, trust them. They are well trained; they are well-oriented, and they will do it to their satisfaction. There are people who have that misconception that South Sudan People’s Defense Forces are not disciplined but I want to prove them wrong, our forces are well organized and well trained,” he said.

“They will respect the rules and regulations of the mission, and they will respect anybody in that part of our sisterly country, and they will cooperate with forces of the region,” he added.

Acting foreign affairs minister Deng Dau Deng said the flagging of the soldiers off to the Democratic Republic of Congo is an indication that South Sudan is very much concerned about regional peace and stability.

“South Sudan has committed to help our neighbor Democratic Republic of Congo with the support of a battalion which will be based in northern DRC,” said Deng.

“Our forces are very discipline; they have been taught humanitarian law and they have been advised on how they can conduct themselves in respecting human rights and providing protection to IDPs,” he added.