SPLA officially renamed ‘South Sudan People’s Defence Forces’

September 2, 2018 (JUBA) – President Salva Kiir who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the South Sudanese army issued a decree providing to formally change the name of the SPLA into South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF).

The decision which was announced on Tuesday evening had been adopted on 3 August 2017 by the sixth Command Council Conference of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA).

The change meant to mark the effective transformation of the national army from a liberation movement into a professional army.

At the time the conference passed several resolutions in that sense.

The presidential decree read on the official TV station provided that the decision comes in line with the resolutions of the SPLA Command Council Conference.

The SPLA was founded as a guerrilla movement in 1983 and was a key participant of the second Sudanese civil war.

As of 2013, South Sudan military was estimated to have 210,000 soldiers.

The SPLA’s change de name intervenes ten days before the start of the implementation of the revitalized security arrangements which include the reunification of the national army before the end of the transitional period.

(ST)