Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The presidential advisor on security affairs, Tut Gatluak, revealed that the deployment of the necessary unified forces will start next week.
Addressing the media in Juba yesterday, Gatluak said it was high time the government began transforming the forces that have graduated as part of the implementation of the peace agreement in the country.
“The government will deploy the forces next week in order to give space to the new forces who will join the training centre,” he said.
Gatluak called on all the signatories to the peace agreement and extended an invitation to Kigtwang and Agwelek forces to also join the camps and prepare for the next graduation.
“I urged all the signatories to the peace agreement to join the training centers, including the forces of Johnson Olony and Simon Gatwech,” he added.
Tut said every signatory to the agreement should bring their forces to the training centers, as the training for phase two of the necessary unified forces is expected to start in March 2023.
Last week, Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang, the spokesperson for the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces, told The City Review that the preliminary phase for the redeployment strategies for the necessary unified forces, whose graduation concluded on January 14, 2023, has already begun after stakeholders met.
“What I know is that my chief of defense forces informed me that it is a pre-deployment strategy and that they have directed JDB and the JTSC to preposition in all training centres so that the forces can return.”
“That was the last directive I had from the chief of defense forces,” Lul explained.
Lul said there was an alternative as the government waits on the decision of the Security Council to lift the embargo in May 2023.
He stated that the international community should reconsider its position on the lifting of the arms embargo since the implementation of the peace agreement as part of the transitional security arrangement has been implemented in letter and spirit.
“Because the issue of sanctions is a big problem, I am sure the leadership will start with those who have arms and work out the issue of those who are unarmed, but we strongly believe that with all the steps we have taken,” he said.
“I am sure the international community will be in a position to reconsider their position.”
Lul’s statement came in the wake of calls by the CTSAMVM Chairperson, Lt. Gen. Asrat Denero Ahmed, who called on the Joint Defence Board (JDB) – the body responsible for overseeing the forces integration process—to provide a clear matrix on the deployment of the graduated forces.
“CTSAMVM requests JDB to provide the details of the phase one deployment plan of the graduated soldiers, while JTSC is requested to provide details of phase two training, including the locations of cantonment sites and training centres,” said Gen. Denero on Monday.
Last year, South Sudan graduated 52,000 unified forces. This is the first of the entire 83,000 forces that will have graduated by the end of the next phase.
Source: The City Review South Sudan
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