South Sudan graduates 1st batch of unified forces

By Benjamin Takpiny

JUBA, South Sudan (AA) - South Sudan graduated its first batch of unified armed forces Tuesday after several delays.

The men and women who graduated are from various units, including the National Security Service, the police and the VIP protection forces.

Over 20,000 new troops who successfully completed their basic military training at various centers in the Greater Equatoria region were graduated to symbolize the graduation of 52,000 unified forces as the first batch of unified forces.

They are part of the 83,000 forces provided for in the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity, which is being implemented to resolve a bitter crisis in the country.

The graduation of the forces, the pillar of a security arrangement, had been postponed many times in the last three years due to multiple crises, including logistical issues and what observers term a lack of political will.

Speaking during the graduation ceremony in the capital Juba, President Salva Kiir said the implementation of security arrangements for the forces to be graduated has been the most challenging chapter and yet the most important one.

He directed the graduated forces to refrain from attaching themselves to political parties and to protect the national integrity of the country.

“Today, I am the only commander in chief. You belong to the Republic of South Sudan and its people. You must refrain from being a member of any political party and you must never consider yourself a soldier of any ethnic group. You are no longer part of any political party wing but a national army of South Sudan, and it’s your duty to treat all South Sudanese equal in justice and equality,” he said.

He warned the forces that those who are found to have discriminated against some of the people will be dismissed from the army and will face the full force of the law.

“We want our people to elect their leaders in 24 months from now, and it will not be possible without a professional security force like you. We are determined to implement the remaining parts of the agreement through the roadmap agreed upon.

“As I have been saying, I will never take our people back to war, and I must tell you that you are not being graduated to take you back to war. If your commanders are telling you that you are going to war, that will never happen again. Our people have suffered enough, and we are not ready to make it worse than what it is now,” he said.

Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, chairman of the Sovereignty Council of Sudan, said the graduation of the forces is an achievement in the revitalized peace agreement in South Sudan.

“We will support implementation of the peace agreement. We need to have collective responsibility to resolve our problems. Efforts are needed to support the first batch of unified forces. Peace and security are critical for the stability and development of the country, and that cannot be done without unified forces on ground,” he said.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, one of the guarantors of South Sudan’s peace agreement, said he is happy because the peace agreement is on the right track.

“The process was delayed. But when I talked to Gen. Salva Kiir, he told me that part of the problem was money. So this graduation needs money. I am urging those with money to support South Sudan, such that they will be able to equipment and train their forces,” said Museveni.

The graduation was attended by leaders from the region.

Training of the unified forces has been supported by many countries including Türkiye, which has provided food to training centers.​​​​​​​