By Bosco Bush
Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO) has threatened to withdraw from the implementation of the peace agreement’s security arrangements mechanisms.
In a position paper addressed to the Presidential Advisor for Security Affairs and Chairperson of the National Transitional Committee, Hon. Tut Gatluak Manime, seen by this outlet the SPLA-IO military command outlined a series of violations of agreed protocols and tasks that they claim have not been adequately addressed.
These include delay in confirmation of opposition officers’ ranks after their list was submitted to the President in April 2024, as well as delay of the 2nd and middle echelon deployment of the Necessary Unified Forces [NUF].
They also cited, unilateral changes, modifications and inappropriate appointments of the top echelon officers to the agreed security institution structures within the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces [SSPDF], South Sudan National Police Service [SSNPS], and National Security Service [NSS].
Other challenges, they cited include a lack of incentives for opposition members working in the security mechanism institutions, a lack of food and medicine for forces both in the training centres and cantonment sites across the country.
The opposition members urge the Principals and Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity [R-TGoNU] to address these and other concerns amicably for the smooth implementation of the security arrangements as stipulated in the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement.
However, they said, “if it’s deemed to be impossible to carry out, the SPLA-IO Command in the security mechanisms shall be forced to recall back to the cantonment sites the SPLA-IO NUF who are currently starving in the training centres due to lack of food and medicine.”
Additionally, they also threatened to stop participation in all the meetings regarding peace implementation and monitoring mechanisms such as the Revitalized Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission [R-JMEC], Ceasefire Transitional Security Arrangements Mechanism-Verification and Monitoring [CTSAMVM], and others.
Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army-In Opposition is one of the key stakeholders in the Revitalized Agreement on Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan [R-ARCSS].
Chapter Two- Ceasefire and Security Arrangements of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement calls for the national unity government to canton, train, unify and redeploy the Necessary Unified Forces to provide security across the nation before elections.
In August 2022, the government graduated at least 53,000 NUF as phase one. Phase two processes are yet to commence despite repeated calls from civil society, United Nations and the International Community for the government to expedite the process.
According to CTSAMVM, only about 10 per cent of the graduated Necessary Unified Forces have been deployed.