 from different sectors across the Greater Equatoria region have officially defected to the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF).){kind=link}
By: Ginaba Lino
A total of 2,434 forces affiliated with the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) from different sectors across the Greater Equatoria region have officially defected to the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF).
Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Samir David, speaking to the press, announced their complete and final disengagement from SSOA and all its affiliated political entities.
“We hereby declare our complete and ultimate disengagement from the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) and all its affiliated political organizations,” said Brig. Gen. Samir. “We renounce all duties previously assigned to us in military and security mechanisms on behalf of SSOA. We are now members of the organized forces under the command and control of the Commander-in-Chief of SSPDF and the Supreme Commander of all Organized Forces, H.E. President Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit.”
Brig. Samir emphasized that the group now aligns fully with the SSPDF and other organized forces, under the leadership of their respective commanders and in accordance with the laws governing these institutions.
The defectors warned SSOA’s political leadership against any attempts to politicize or reach out to the forces—who graduated in 2022—under any organizational structure linked to the opposition alliance.
According to Brig. Samir, the defected personnel were part of the first phase of the unified forces trained and graduated in 2022. They came from various training centers including Lologo, Rajaf, Awenjobol, Muni, Agot, Makur, Maridi, and Rambur, among others.
A list seen by the Catholic Radio Network shows the breakdown of the defected forces as follows:
105 to the SSPDF (officers, NCOs, and soldiers) 650 to the South Sudan National Police Service
105 from the National Security Service while 668 from the National Prison Service
Other are 400 from the National Wildlife Service and 506 from the National Fire Brigade Service
Meanwhile, David John Kumuri, spokesperson for the National Security Service, welcomed the defectors and praised their decision.
He assured the safety and integration of the forces into the national army under the SPLM-IG leadership, saying their move is a step towards unity and national peace.
“Their decision reflects the collective will of the South Sudanese people who prioritize peace and security over returning the country to war,” Kumuri stated