What is hindering graduation of forces?
Kiden Stela Mandela
The issue of the unified forces has become a big challenge in a way that it has stopped every step of the implementation of peace in the country.
The joint screening committees which were dispatched to screen the unified forces in the Greater Upper Nile, Greater Bahr-el-Ghazal and the Greater Equatoria regions since mid-December last year in order to unify them have not yet released any report on their findings and recommendation.
According to Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang, the Spokesperson of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) who doubles as the Spokesperson of the Joint Defense Board (JDB) affirmed that the joint committees to screen the unified forces had finished their work and they were to compile their reports to harmonize it and forward to the National Transitional Committee (NTC) after which the NTC will send to the principals for consideration but since then they haven’t forwarded their report. Nobody knows what is taking place in this country.
One thing that we should know about the unification of the command for the unified force, is that the principals are supposed to agree on how they are going to unify them and put them under one command and they should not always put the issue of the sanction as the main point not to unify the force because even these forces can be unified with sticks and be kept in the barracks until the sanctions are lifted then they will be provided with guns for the sake of the peace to progress.
Unless our leaders are not ready for the peace deal to continue its process based on their interest in the country and why do they insist on the sanction, who wants to go back for war? And I don’t understand the work of Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC), IGAD in the country because one of their mandates is to oversee all aspects of the implementation of the Agreement like for example forces are still defecting from party to party, still crisis are everywhere and the (RJMEC) are not condemning the act which is a violation of the Transitional government of the national unity of 2018 Agreement. Now what shows that they are really working? It seems they have different agenda in delaying the peace process in this country.
These forces are really suffering in the cantonment areas, they face lack of food, medications and even some might be dying in the training centres for example one of the females in Gorom training centre threw herself in to the river because of just pushing the graduation from year to year without guarantee.
I am urging President Salva Kiir, Dr. Riek Marchar to come up with solutions on how they will unify the forces and put them under one command for the peace to progress and the other thing is for them to get prepared for election.
God Bless South Sudan.
Be right there!