South Sudan president unveils new army structure
May 15, 2017 (JUBA)- South Sudan President Kiir has on Monday issued several orders restructuring the army, including the name of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army to South Sudan defence force (SSDF).
president Kiir, through presidential decree number 85/2017 read out on the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation, also reinstated Major General Dau Aturjong Nyuol into active military service. General Aturjong switched allegiance from the army in 2014 after the eruption of the conflict before he later returned to Juba where re-defected from the SPLA-IO during the July crisis in a joint televised press briefing with Minister of Information, Michael Makuei Lueth.
The president in a separate Republican Order Number 11/2017 restructured the SPLA into 3 institutions headed by respective commanders. the order restructured the army into ground force, air force and air defence and Navy units.
In line with the resolutions of the Fifth SPLA command council Conference in June 2016 which authorised the establishment of Defense structural Review Committee. The committee was tasked with the review of the structures of the Ministry of Defense and Veteran Affairs to be in line with the SPLA white paper of 2008.
A fourth republican Order number 12/2017 restructured the leadership of the SPLA General Staff to hierarchically consist of the Commander in Chief, the Minister of Defense and Veteran Affairs, the Chief of Defense force, the Deputy Chief of Defense force and inspector General. it abolished the previous structure in which there used to be deputy chief of general staff and replaced them with assistants.
The new structure envisages rebranding the army in a way that any department would be headed by an assistant.
If implemented, the deputy chief of general staff for finance and administration will now be Assistant Chief of Defense force for administration, personnel and finance, the Assistant Chief of Defense force for Operations, Trainings and Intelligence, The Assistant chief of Defense for Logistics and Procurements, The Commander of Ground force, The Commander of Air force and Air Defense and The commander of Navy or Riverine units.
(ST)