3, 420 South Sudanese soldiers deployed in Juba: officer

April 13, 2016 ((JUBA) – South Sudanese army officials say 3,420 soldiers have been stationed 25 km outside the country’ capital, Juba in accordance with provisions of peace agreement signed with the armed opposition faction (SPLM-IO).

The army’s deputy chief of operations, Gen. Mangar Buong wrote a letter to the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangement Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM), inviting members of the verification team to tour the army barracks.

CTSAMM is a body which comprises of all parties to South Sudan’s peace agreement.

This is, however, the first time SPLA senior command allied to Presidnet Salva Kiir has disclosed the numbers of its Juba troops expected to be demilitarised under the terms of the peace accord, which the warring factions signed last year.

Under the August 2015 peace deal to resolve the conflict in South Sudan, 3,420 government troops will remain in Juba during the 30 months transitional period, while the rest have to be deployed 25 kilometers outside the nation’s capital.

According to Buong there are 650 presidential guards at the Tiger headquarters, 250 band and ceremonial guards at new site, a western suburb of Juba and 700 members of the administrative battalion at army headquarters in Bilpham.

He said 700 soldiers of the logistical battalion are at new site, 1,000 guards for shared unified command and military police at Bilpham and the ground force headquarters.
In Gudele-2, there are 120 officers of the national security service, the senior army official told reporters Wednesday.

Buong, in a letter Sudan Tribune obtained, said the verification would take place on 19 April, a day after the scheduled return of the armed opposition leader, Riek Machar.

The official did not, however, reveal the number of soldiers deployed on the six roads around the capital as required by the terms of the August 2015 peace agreement.

(ST)