U.S. Embassy in Juba donates basic equipment to SPLA-IO police
June 3, 2016 (JUBA) – The U.S. Embassy in Juba has announced provision of basic necessities to the police contingent of the armed opposition faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA-IO) currently based at Rajaf, south of Juba.
“As part of its commitment to support the Transitional Security Arrangements of the August 2015 Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict (ARC) in South Sudan, the U.S. Embassy yesterday [Thursday] donated approximately $100,000 worth of items to the SPLA-IO Police Contingent,” partly reads the statement issued on Friday by the US embassy.
The basic equipment include tents for 100 people, sleeping bags and mats, survival kits, hygiene kits, personal water packs, chairs, water storage vessels, kitchen cook sets, basic construction supplies and sports equipment.
The embassy explained that the basic items were provided through the US International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) office, which works to strengthen the rule of law and improve capacity of South Sudanese law enforcement agencies in the country.
“This donation is part of the Embassy’s continuing commitment to assist and support the establishment of the Joint Integrated Police (JIP), which is an essential element of the August 2015 peace agreement,” the statement, dated 3 June, further explained.
“We are very encouraged by the formation of the JIP’s Joint Management Team (JMT) and will work closely with the JMT and other international donors to ensure that the JIP can meet its mandate,” it said.
The basic equipment was handed over to Major General Bern Puot Yuot, Deputy Commander of the SPLA-IO’s Joint Integrated Police.
According to the security arrangements in the peace agreement, 1,500 police personnel from the SPLA-IO were supposed to deploy in Juba as part of a joint integrated police with another equal number of 1,500 from the former government’s police force.
However, only a little over 400 of the SPLA-IO police contingent have arrived in Juba and over 900 of them have not yet come to the capital. They are currently based at the Rajaf Police Service Academy where they will be merged with their counterparts.
Meanwhile, about 1,200 of the SPLA-IO’s military contingent have arrived in Juba since March and have been based at Jebel Kujur, few kilometres south-west of Juba. A total of 1,410 military personnel of the SPLA-IO were supposed to deploy in Juba, but the rest have not yet arrived.
Former government would have deployed a total of over 5,000 military and police personnel in Juba and redeploy the rest to 25 km outside the capital. However, several thousands of the military forces have remained inside Juba.
(ST)