By Bida Elly David
The chairperson of Ceasefire Transitional Security Monitoring and Verification mechanism (CTSAMVM) has revealed that a good number of soldiers from the Unified forces have started deserting the training camps amid series of postponements by the government of their graduation which has been sung severally with cumulative failures.
This was disclosed during the monthly CTSAMVM Technical Committee meeting on Thursday. The CTSAMVM deliberated on their activities as per their strategic mandate and viewing the status for the graduation of the unified forces.
Recently, the Presidency held a consultative meeting to deliberate on the ways through which the stagnated unified forces could be graduated.
Few months ago the Presidential Advisor for Security Affairs announced that the time table for the graduation of the unified forces was out but since that time, nothing tangible in regards to the graduation of the forces has been seen.
The trainees formerly turned up in a multiple number after a declaration for the graduation of more than 50,000 Unified Forces was made by the Co-chair of the Joint Defense Board (JDB) at the end of the month which later on failed due to reasons best known by the concerned body.
Speaking during the event, Asrat Denera Amad the chairperson for the Ceasefire Transitional Security Arrangement Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAM-VM) said many soldiers have already made a U-turn back to their homes after investing much of their efforts waiting for their graduation that ended up in vain.
“Recently, CTSAMVM team paid a visit to the cantonment sites and the training centers and observed that many soldiers had come back in anticipation of graduation as earlier announced by the R-TGoNU. However most of them have again returned back to their homes amid a series of the delays,” disclosed Asrat Denero.
Denera being the ceasefire observer underscored that they discovered this situation after their visit to the cantonment sites as well as the training centers being one of the variables for the peace agreement implementation that was formerly discussed upon.
The CTSAMVM Chair reiterated delays of the graduation of the unified forces as one of the hindering factors that would cripple the agreement of ceasefire and probably hitching the strategy of taking the Country for democratic elections.
He urged the parties to the agreement to address the escalating disagreements.
He further said the ongoing violence against civilians as well as armed clashes between parties has been transpiring as a result of poor control mechanism and order.
“Violence against neutrals and armed clangs among revelries continue due to lack of strict control by the parities on their military personnel and armed groups under their command’ Asrat said.
However, he has recommended graduation of the unified forces to be sped up to pave ways for the implementation of the agreement as well as enhance some of the paused deliverables and provisions that hanged due to the political disagreement among parties.