South Sudan is launching a new demobilisation policy aimed at reintegrating into civilian life some 150 thousand SPLA soldiers.
William Deng Deng, who chairs the South Sudan Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) Commission, told SCR News that the new policy will run for the next six to eight years demobilising at least 30 thousand active soldiers every year.He added that more than 12 thousand have been already demobilised in five states of South Sudan: Central and Eastern Equatoria, Lakes, and Northern and Western Bahr el Ghazal.
Mr. Deng pointed out that most of the demobilised soldiers will be trained in agriculture, brick making and anything they may be able to do.
He added that former soldiers will be encouraged to establish cooperatives to run their projects together and get the necessary funding.
The DDR Commission met SPLA top officials and the international community for a consultative meeting on its new policy.
The current DDR programme was an integral part of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ends on July 9.