South Sudan govt forces did not join training centres: SPLM-IO
January 7, 2019 (JUBA) – SPLM-IO media official Tuesday has urged the registration of government forces in the cantonment sites and their integration to the joint training centres.
Following Entebbe agreement to extend the pre-transition period for 100 days, the Joint Defence Board (JDB) directed that forces join the training centres even if they are not registered in the cantonment areas. It said the procedure can be done in the training sites.
The board feared that the registration and screening procedures in the cantonment sites may delay the critical implementation of the security arrangements during the 100 days.
Manawa Peter Gatkuoth SPLM-IO Deputy Chairperson of the National Committee for Information and Public Relations told Sudan Tribune that some challenges are facing the implementation of the sticky issues, 50 days after the signing of Entebbe deal on 7 November.
“The registration of the government forces are not yet to be (done) and the government forces are not showing up in the training centres,” Manawa said.
He further said the government forces are still in the civilians’ sites.
The National Democratic Movement (NDM) in a report released on Monday about the implementation of the peace agreement underlined the issue of troops’ non-registration saying it would create problems.
“Such a step is likely to sacrifice the quality of the NUF we are looking for and also create problems with those who will be found unsuitable to join the training,” said the report.
Also, he said the government forces are “not yet showing up” or taking part in the training centres in the areas controlled by the SPLM IO.
The NDM in its report said that the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission (DDR), has not yet started its activities on the cantonment sites.
The report said the joint mechanism including guarantors agreed in Entebbe to supervise the implementation of the critical pre-transitional security tasks has not yet been formed.
“This is the body that should have been played the central role in the 50-day evaluation of the implementation process as stipulated in the Entebbe Tripartite statement,” the report stressed.
Fighting n Jekou
The SPLM-IO media official pointed to the recent attack on their forces in Jekou area of Maiwut state by Maj Gen Ochan Puot who recently broke away from the Movement.
” The ongoing fighting in Jekou is a serious variation of the agreement by the government forces,” he said.
“We’re calling on the IGAD and the international community and Troika to intervene and stop the killing of the civilians around Jekou by the government forces,” he further said.
(ST)