Regional
South Sudan rival parties reach agreement on unification of command structure
April
3, 2022 (JUBA) – Rival parties in the South Sudan conflict reached an agreement
on the unification of command on Sunday, representing a key step in the
implementation of the 2018 revitalized peace agreement.
The
deal, mediated by the deputy chairman of Sudan’s Sovereign Council Mohamed
Hamdan Dagalo, will pave way for graduation of forces from cantonment sites and
fast-track their deployment to provide security and protection for the
population and defend the country’s territorial integrity.
The
accord ends the tension that was building up in the country after relations
between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar deteriorated
following the latter’s withdrawal from the security mechanism.
South
Sudan’s Minister for Mining, Martin Gama Abucha, who signed the deal on behalf
of Machar’s SPLM/A-IO party said the deal was important because it would
silence guns and allow the country to move forward.
“It
is important we silence the guns so that South Sudan can prosper. Not
everything is perfect, but we want to say we want to move the country forward,”
he said.
For
his part, the presidential adviser of security affairs, Tut Gatluak Manime said
an agreement was reached because peace had to be preserved.
“This
is to inform everyone that we have agreed today to unify the military command.
We have agreed to divide the positions because peace is precious. We have to
agree so that we develop the country,” he explained.
The
deal sets out terms to integrate opposition commanders into the armed forces.
The parties signed a matrix for the creation of a unified armed forces command
within a week. They also agreed to graduate and deploy the unified forces in
training camps within a period not exceeding two months.
Sudan’s
Defence minister, Yassin Ibrahim who co-signed with the parties said the
agreement is based on a proposal submitted by Sudan since last August, and there
was a long discussion about it.
He
further said the signed deal took into account the spirit and text of the
revitalized peace agreement and included a road map and a time matrix for it
implementation.
Meanwhile,
the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) welcomed the signing of
the agreement, describing it as an important milestone towards full
implementation of transitional security arrangements.
The
regional bloc’s Executive Secretary, Workneh Gebeyehu commended President Kiir,
Machar and the parties to the accord for the goodwill shown
He
also thanked Sudan, the current chair of IGAD, for brokering the deal.
“The
Executive Secretary calls on all the parties to respect the terms of the
agreement and implement it fully, faithfully and timely,” said Gebeyehu.
Under the September 2018 revitalized peace agreement, South Sudan is supposed to graduate 83,000 unified forces drawn from the various parties to take charge of security during the ongoing transitional period.
Source: https://sudantribune.com/