By Philip Buda Ladu
In a significant announcement, South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF), unveiled plans for a large-scale recruitment drive.
SSPDF Spokesperson, Major General Lul Ruai Koang, said the exercise targets a total of 4,000 recruits, 3,000 for specialized Riverine force and an additional 1,000 to bolster its contributions to United Nations peacekeeping missions.
Addressing the media during a press conference at the Eagle House, the army spokesman in his bold announcement emphasized on Bolstering the Riverine Force under the motto: “Serve Your Nation, Build a Professional and Modern Army”
Gen. Koang’s first announcement focused on the recruitment of 3,000 fresh recruits for the SSPDF’s Riverine force, operating under the motto, “Serve your nation, and build a professional and modern army.”
This initiative seeks to fill vital roles within the national army and is open to “willing, brave, dedicated, patriotic, and nationalistic applicants.” the SSPDF spokesman pronounced.
General Requirements for Riverine Force Applicants:
The potential Applicants must be a South Sudanese citizen. He or she must be between the ages of 18 to 35. Education level, holds a secondary school certificate or equivalent, must be physically fit, must be mentally sound, morally upright, has no criminal records. The applicants are also required to have two passport size photos.
Furthermore, the applicants should have fluency in primary languages used within the military. In the South Sudanese setting, we are talking about (Arabic and English).
Specific information:
Meanwhile the location of training, is slated to be Alelo Village of Makal County, Upper Nile State and the duration of the basic military training, is six months.
Successful recruits would be asked to report to SSPDF’s States’ divisional and Administrative Areas headquarters. The recruitment commences tomorrow 10, June, 2025 and it will run for a period of two weeks.
Allocation of Recruits by Region:
The recruitment has been broken down to States and Administrative Areas equal representation. Each of the ten states is required to register 240 recruits, totaling 2,400 for all the 10 states while the Three Administrative Areas, will have 200 recruits from each, totaling 600. This brings the total for the Riverine force to 3,000 recruits.
SSPDF’s Peacekeeping Force
Major General Koang also announced an open recruitment for 1,000 individuals to join the SSPDF peacekeeping force, inviting citizens to “Serve your nation and be part of 120 countries contributing troops to the United Nations peacekeeping missions.”
General Requirements for Peacekeeping Force Applicants:
The requirements are similar to those for the Riverine force including: Applicants must be a South Sudanese citizen, aged between 18 and 35 years old, hold a secondary school certificate or equivalent, must be physically fit and mentally sound, morally upright with no criminal record and Fluent in primary military languages (Arabic and English).
Specifics for Peacekeeping Force Recruitment:
The Peacekeeping Forces will be trained in a village called Wunilet west of Juba town, Juba County, Central Equatoria State. The duration will be Six months of basic training by the SSPDF. Feeding of recruits will be the responsibility of the SSPDF Chief of Defense Forces.
Applicants are required to present two colored passport-sized photos.
Successful Recruits are to report to the headquarters of each of the ten states’ army divisions and to the headquarters of the SSPDF in the three administrative areas respectively. Recruitment Period commences, June 10, 2025.
On Allocation of Recruits by Region, the Ten States will contribute 80 recruits each, totaling 800 and the Three Administrative Areas will also contribute 50 recruits from each, totaling 150 while a reserve of 50 recruits will be handled by the JVMM army General Headquarters. This brings the total for the peacekeeping force to 1,000 recruits.
With these two significant announcements, the SSPDF is embarking on a comprehensive effort to strengthen its forces, both domestically and on the international stage.