Africa-Press – South-Sudan. President Salva Kiir will not allow South Sudan to return to conflict once the unified army command is formed and will persuade top army generals against taking up arms against the government when replaced this month by opposition commanders mainly from the SPLA-IO, a diplomat has said.
Kiir and his first deputy Dr. Riek Machar Teny last week signed an agreement on the formation of the formula of allocation of top army positions paving ways for formation of a unified army command which has been one of sticking points in the implementation of the security arrangements.
Based on the agreement, Kiir accepted to relinquish senior army positions such as the deputy army chief, inspector general of police, deputy army chief for morale and guidance and deputy army chief for logistics and procurement as well as senior positions in in the police and national security service.
Speaking during a briefing for members of diplomatic corps and international organizations on the current affairs in Juba on Wednesday, Amb. Mayen Dut, the undersecretary for the ministry of foreign affairs, said Kiir is ready to replace top army generals to pave way for the opposition and will persuade the generals not to take up arms if replaced.
“President Salva Kiir would replace them to make way for others. We should persuade those leaders in the army, police, and other security organs not to fight those who would replace them,” Dut said.
Dut said establishing unified joined command is a significant step towards the implementation of the 2018 revitalized peace agreement signed by Kiir, Machar and other opposition representatives ending five-year-old conflict.
“Establishing unified joined command is significant to set in that direction. In practice, this decision will remove some officers who hold senior leadership positions and have doubtfully defended the country,” Dut said.
He said the agreement is a bitter, and pill to swallow for some politicians.
“For them, the agreement is bitter, and a pill to swallow in the name of the peace. When President Salva announced the arrival of a peace delegation from Sudan to final negotiation, he recognized these men and counts their actions as heroes,” he said.
“In addition to that sacrifices for each position are the strategy for South Sudan and besides them in an environment where we are still building the trust and healing wounds required faith,” he added.
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