By William Madouk Garang
“You are no longer military wing of warring parties but national security sector organs of the country and I am your commander-in-chief”, these are the words of President Salva Kiir to cadets passing out graduation.
Addressing the unified forces at Dr. John Garang Mausoleum on Tuesday President Kiir said Dr. Riek Machar and Hussein Abdelbagi are no longer commanders in chiefs of the unified forces.
“To cadets from today, you are not a military wing of any of the parties to the conflict; you are now the first national security sector organs of the republic of South Sudan,” Kiir said.
“As the President of the Republic, I am your commander in-chief if your Commander-in-Chief was the chairperson of SPLM/A-IO Dr. Riek Machar, or Hussein Abdelbagi, or any other unknown commander-in-chief; they are no longer your commanders in-chief today,” he stressed.
He also warned members of the unified forces to abstain from politics and never count themselves as ethnic soldiers since they are professional army whose allegiance is to protect the Country.
“It’s your responsibility to defend the flag of our Country with all its colors and the meaning attached to it – that is why you must never be a member of political party and you must consider yourself South Sudanese in carrying out your duty not a solider of an ethnic group,” Kiir warned.
The President further said, unified forces are tasked to treat all South Sudanese equally and with dignity and respect, adding that any solider found discriminating against people will be dismissed and face full force of the law.
In a presidential order read out by the Minister of Presidential Affairs, Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin, President Kiir integrated 21,973 into different army units of the national unified forces.
Kiir amalgamated 6,315 personal of National Security Service, VIP protection forces are 3,308 personnel, while from National Police Service 4,366 personnel.
National prison Service 1,120 personnel and 3,289 personnel into National Civil Defense Services, furthermore 3,757 personnel were integrated into Wildlife Services.
According to Kiir, the army’s role is to defend South Sudan from any external aggression while the national security is to collect intelligence to ensure that there is no danger against South Sudan.
Meanwhile, the police’s duty is to protect people and their properties, and the prison, wildlife and civil defense are there to carry out their duties in accordance with their relevant laws, rules and regulations.