South Sudan hints at recruiting more police officers
By Ngor Arol Garang
July 1, 2010 (ALEK) — Authorities from the semi-autonomous government of Southern Sudan have on Thursday hinted intentions seeking recruitment more police officers, saying its lacks adequate professional officers to safeguard conduct of successful referendum.
The police service hopes government will allow it to recruit more officers to maintain peace and order ahead of referendum. “It would be good if parliament and council of ministers debate to approve plans of the ministry to increase number of professional police forces especially officers before referendum is held,” said General Achuil.
Currently, he said, the service only has less than 10,000 professional police force across the region; adding that this number is insufficient to safeguard the eight millions purportedly population of South Sudan, according to the last fifth and household population census, boycotted by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).
He said although the police service has managed to train more officers in the last five years, the manpower is still insufficient hence necessitated the need to recruit more police officers in the region.
The internationally accepted policy for recruitment is that one policeman serves 100 people. However, in southern Sudan, 0ver 10,000 people are looked after by single policeman who hardly show physical present at designated assigned places owing to administrative and logistical challenges, he said.
General Achuil further added that the region is struggling to ensure that more literate officers are put to training centers so complains of high rate of illiteracy in the police force here and there are adequately addressed.
In the upcoming recruitments, if approved, he said, we will ensure that young people with good level of command of both English and Arabic possessing relevant documents are given priority.
He continued to say the less than 10,000 officers believed to have been trained by the ministry with technical assistance from the UN, since the formation of the regional government of southern Sudan, five years ago, is a composition of ex-SPLA officers and elements from other armed groups observed into the government as stipulated in the CPA.
The police officers we have currently are not all professionally trained police officers but composition of different groups who need complete training to get real police officers. Another challenge is that most of them are illiterate.
“We are training more but just like a drop in the ocean because we are looking at the over eight million Southern Sudanese,” he explained. “We hope parliament and council of ministers debate to allow us recruit more officers in view of the presidential and parliamentary elections,” he said.
General Tito equally bewailed inadequate funding, lack of transport and low salaries as some of the challenges the service is facing.
“We need to be at equivalence with other countries when it comes to salaries so that officers can look after their families.”
“Transport is also a big problem despite being selectively and occasionally given vehicles by government based on seniority and the nature of assignment,” he said.
He said the police service is also facing challenges in settling fuels, water and electricity bills, adding that currently, it owes millions pounds in unsettled bills across the region.
He also emphasized the need for government to procure sufficient riot gear for police officers across the region. However, he admitted that the ministry has made some improvement in provision of police uniforms and boots.
The ministry has made significant improvement in procuring uniforms for police officers, he said, adding the welfare of police officers needs to be secured as they are the custodians of regional security.
He, however, was quick to add that the government is aware of the challenges faced by the service and will do its best to resolve the challenges.
“I, however, appeal to you to always communicate your challenges as this is the only way we, as government, will be able to sort out your problems,” he said.
(ST)
Marco A. Wek
South Sudan hints at recruiting more police officers
Good job general Achuil Tito, recuriting more police officers is a very good idea. It will insure security of our people but be sure to recurite good apples. We do not need corrupt police and those who could intimidate our people.