{"id":84385,"date":"2025-10-12T18:32:32","date_gmt":"2025-10-12T18:32:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army"},"modified":"2025-10-12T18:39:02","modified_gmt":"2025-10-12T18:39:02","slug":"sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army","title":{"rendered":"SSPDF orders Red Belt group to integrate into army"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – South-Sudan. <\/strong><\/span>South Sudan\u2019s military chief has ordered an armed group in Jonglei State to integrate into the national army or face forcible disarmament, a move that observers warn could undermine the country\u2019s fragile security.<\/p>\n

Two orders, issued Sunday by Gen. Paul Nang Majok, target the Red Belt Movement in Bor County and armed youth in Warrap State. A third directive commands forces from the main opposition group, the Sudan People\u2019s Liberation Army-In Opposition, to report to government army barracks as part of long-stalled security arrangements.<\/p>\n

The ultimatums, delivered in a statement from military spokesperson Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang, come as the implementation of the 2018 peace deal has largely stalled.<\/p>\n

The military\u2019s directives<\/b><\/p>\n

The first order demands that the Red Belt Movement, which the state government recently designated a criminal organization in Bor County, join the South Sudan People\u2019s Defence Forces (SSPDF) along with their weapons.<\/p>\n

The military described it as a \u201cgolden opportunity and honor to serve.\u201d Those who refuse \u201cwill face forcible disarmament at the earliest time possible,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n

Members of the Red Belt Movement are seen in Bor, South Sudan.<\/p>\n

The Red Belt Movement, whose members have recently been seen in green uniforms and carrying firearms in Bor town, has claimed it is a vigilante force protecting local communities from attacks by hostile neighbors.<\/p>\n

The government says the group\u2019s first known activity was an ambush on the national minister of wildlife in Jonglei in February.<\/p>\n

The second order gives armed youth in Warrap State, President Kiir\u2019s home state, 21 days to voluntarily surrender their weapons or face \u201ca comprehensive forcible disarmament exercise.\u201d<\/p>\n

The third directive instructs SPLA-IO forces to report to the nearest SSPDF barracks to prepare for the next phase of the peace deal\u2019s transitional security arrangements. The statement warned that non-compliant members would be \u201cconsidered hostile forces.\u201d<\/p>\n

SPLA-IO and civil society react<\/b><\/p>\n

The SPLA-IO, a key signatory to the 2018 agreement, rejected the order, arguing it violates the pact\u2019s outlined procedures for the cantonment, training and unification of forces.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a clear declaration that the 2018 peace deal is effectively null and void,\u201d SPLA-IO Gen. John Sunday Martin told Radio Tamazuj. He accused the army chief of acting outside the peace framework and questioned why the army had previously attacked SPLA-IO sites.<\/p>\n

Civil society leaders also expressed concern.<\/p>\n

Bol Deng Bol, executive director of INTREPID South Sudan, said the approach of issuing threats, rather than pursuing dialogue, could backfire.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis order is not a call for dialogue\u2014it sounds like a threat, and may push these groups to isolate themselves further and potentially become more aggressive,\u201d Bol told Radio Tamazuj.<\/p>\n

He noted that many armed youth groups have emerged in parts of South Sudan in response to widespread insecurity and that forcible disarmament could leave communities vulnerable to attacks from neighboring regions.<\/p>\n

A fragile peace under strain<\/b><\/p>\n

The 2018 peace deal has been under severe strain. Its key provisions, including unifying rival forces into a single national army, have been repeatedly delayed.<\/p>\n

In March, violence broke out between SSPDF and SPLA-IO forces following the arrest of SPLA-IO leader Riek Machar, who also serves as the country\u2019s first vice president. The clashes led to SPLA-IO units being dislodged from several cantonment sites, further complicating the already faltering unification process.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About South-Sudan<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – South-Sudan. South Sudan\u2019s military chief has ordered an armed group in Jonglei State to integrate into the national army or face forcible disarmament, a move that observers warn could undermine the country\u2019s fragile security. Two orders, issued Sunday by Gen. Paul Nang Majok, target the Red Belt Movement in Bor County and armed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":84384,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,7,12],"tags":[233],"class_list":["post-84385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-head-lines","category-policy","tag-south-sudan"],"yoast_head":"\nSSPDF orders Red Belt group to integrate into army - South Sudan<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"South Sudan\u2019s military chief has ordered an armed group in Jonglei State to integrate into the national army or face for ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"SSPDF orders Red Belt group to integrate into army\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"South Sudan\u2019s military chief has ordered an armed group in Jonglei State to integrate into the national army or face for ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"South Sudan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-12T18:32:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-12T18:39:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/sites\/32\/2025\/10\/sm_1760281713.427635.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"847\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"SSPDF orders Red Belt group to integrate into army\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-12T18:32:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-12T18:39:02+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army\"},\"wordCount\":572,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/sites\/32\/2025\/10\/sm_1760281713.427635.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"South-Sudan\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"head lines\",\"policy\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army\",\"name\":\"SSPDF orders Red Belt group to integrate into army - South Sudan\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/sites\/32\/2025\/10\/sm_1760281713.427635.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-12T18:32:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-12T18:39:02+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"description\":\"South Sudan\u2019s military chief has ordered an armed group in Jonglei State to integrate into the national army or face for ...\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/sites\/32\/2025\/10\/sm_1760281713.427635.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/sites\/32\/2025\/10\/sm_1760281713.427635.jpg\",\"width\":847,\"height\":400,\"caption\":\"SSPDF orders Red Belt group to integrate into army\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"SSPDF orders Red Belt group to integrate into army\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/\",\"name\":\"South Sudan\",\"description\":\"Just another Africa News Agency Sites site\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\",\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7417380fa9e23b5c57fdbfdaf3fdf92ee478f759a084addda5faa3732853e74a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7417380fa9e23b5c57fdbfdaf3fdf92ee478f759a084addda5faa3732853e74a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"cfeditoren\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"SSPDF orders Red Belt group to integrate into army - South Sudan","description":"South Sudan\u2019s military chief has ordered an armed group in Jonglei State to integrate into the national army or face for ...","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"SSPDF orders Red Belt group to integrate into army","og_description":"South Sudan\u2019s military chief has ordered an armed group in Jonglei State to integrate into the national army or face for ...","og_url":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army","og_site_name":"South Sudan","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa","article_published_time":"2025-10-12T18:32:32+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-10-12T18:39:02+00:00","og_image":[{"width":847,"height":400,"url":"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/sites\/32\/2025\/10\/sm_1760281713.427635.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"cfeditoren","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"cfeditoren","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army"},"author":{"name":"cfeditoren","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb"},"headline":"SSPDF orders Red Belt group to integrate into army","datePublished":"2025-10-12T18:32:32+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-12T18:39:02+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army"},"wordCount":572,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/sites\/32\/2025\/10\/sm_1760281713.427635.jpg","keywords":["South-Sudan"],"articleSection":["all news","head lines","policy"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army","url":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army","name":"SSPDF orders Red Belt group to integrate into army - South Sudan","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/sites\/32\/2025\/10\/sm_1760281713.427635.jpg","datePublished":"2025-10-12T18:32:32+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-12T18:39:02+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb"},"description":"South Sudan\u2019s military chief has ordered an armed group in Jonglei State to integrate into the national army or face for ...","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/sites\/32\/2025\/10\/sm_1760281713.427635.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/sites\/32\/2025\/10\/sm_1760281713.427635.jpg","width":847,"height":400,"caption":"SSPDF orders Red Belt group to integrate into army"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/sspdf-orders-red-belt-group-to-integrate-into-army#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"SSPDF orders Red Belt group to integrate into army"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/","name":"South Sudan","description":"Just another Africa News Agency Sites site","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb","name":"cfeditoren","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7417380fa9e23b5c57fdbfdaf3fdf92ee478f759a084addda5faa3732853e74a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7417380fa9e23b5c57fdbfdaf3fdf92ee478f759a084addda5faa3732853e74a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"cfeditoren"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/84"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=84385"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84385\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/84384"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=84385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=84385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=84385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}