South Sudan President, Salva Kiir, has urged the first batch of unified military and other forces who had successfully completed their basic training to avoid fostering ethnic and political divisions but to treat all South Sudanese equally.
This development marks also a significant development as about 20,000 soldiers have so far been rehabilitated after the civil war.
“From today, you are not military wings to any party. Now you belong to the South Sudanese people”.
Kiir affirmed this at the graduation ceremony of the first batch of the Unified Forces in Juba, the nation’s capital.
It would be recalled that after a five-year civil conflict that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, South Sudan has been gradually implementing a peace agreement struck in 2018.
In the transitional period preceding the nation’s first elections since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, Kiir said it would take place in 2024.
This year, it is anticipated that over 50,000 united forces will graduate and undertake careers in national security, police forces, prison service, and even wildlife services. Eighty-three thousand graduates are expected.
The administration blamed South Sudan’s arms embargo enforced by the United Nations Security Council for the new forces’ graduation without weaponry. Guns made of wood were what they carried.
But former opposition force leader Machar said the security arrangement was the foundation of the peace accord. “I believe a new era has started,” he declared.
Also, Edmund Yakani, executive director of the civil society organization Community Empowerment for Progress Organization said, “with this uniform, this uniform is for the nation.”
With the graduation of its first set of unified military forces from former rival groups, South Sudan on Tuesday achieved another significant step in its rehabilitation from civil war.
Speaking at the first batch of the Necessary Unified Forces’ graduation ceremony in Juba, President Kiir urged the more than 20,000 new soldiers and other forces to avoid fostering ethnic and political divisions after they had successfully completed their basic training.
“From today, you are not military wings to any party. Now you belong to the South Sudanese people.” Kiir said while urging them to treat all South Sudanese equally.
