Some forces from South Sudan Defence Forces and SPLA-IO will receive a joint training in Moroto area of Kajo-Keji in Yei River State to be a unified army, says SPLA-IO Deputy Spokesman.
Colonel Lam Paul Gabriel says, the Joint Military Ceasefire Commission will screen the forces from their assembly areas and barracks.
The forces will be only one thousands soldiers, Lam adds.
“All opposition forces will be assembled in kendila and they will screen about a hundred of them to be sent for the training. We call it unified training. Where the opposition let me say, the operation and the government were brought together so that they form unified army. So there’ll be trained in Moroto in Kajo Keji. The SSPDF they will be in their barracks, they’ll be screened from their barracks and they’ll be taken to that same center for their training. So this is a pilot project, which is going to happen within this period. So the JMCC what they will do is go to screen. We have them around Yei and Kupera. So do we screen from almost all those areas and select the plum is a 1000 that we brought into a Moroto for training”. Paul quotes.
Major General Lul Ruai, SSPDF Spokesman says it is easier to start with the nearest training center because it does not require a lot of resources where SPLA-IO has many soldiers.
We better start with this action than verbally speaking about financial issues, he points out.
“We are starting with the nearest Training Center. That will require a lot of efforts in terms of resources Kindler had been chosen because there is good concentration of SPLA-IO forces in the area. SPLA-IO who has very strong presence in Yei River State. It would not be difficult for them to be told to report to Kandily for a screening. then it wouldn’t be difficult for them to report to Muroto for training because it’s within where they are highly concentrated. So it do reduce the burden and we are having now. On financial resources on logistical support trucking them from here to the next. So while we are concentrating on this as a pilot project other plans will be put in place for the same to be replicated in other region. So it is like we need to start somewhere not just talking talking and crying. About the issue of resources. So this is a starting point”. Lul says.
The political leadership is to be protected by integrated units this time that form part of the agreement, Major General Lul explains.
“The intention of having transitional secured arrangements put in place is so that the political leadership is given protection by not only one faction but by integrated elements by integrated units that form part of the agreement. So these were exactly what we are doing it is similar to the agreement we had in 2015 and 2016 with Dr. Riek came he had an adverse force of 1300. They were first flown in the station at Jebel after which doctor Riek came in a. This is exactly what we are doing that for them to feel secure. Let their members be part of the National Army be trained together integrated and deployed so that everyone who comes here will have confidence”. He notes.
The fourth Joint Defence Board meeting on Tuesday discussed number of assembly areas, number of cantonment sides and the joint training to start within security transitional arrangements.
The parties are SSPDF, SPLA-IO and SSOA.