South Sudan graduates first batch of army instructors to start training unified force

JUBA, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan on Friday passed out the first batch of army instructors who will commence training of both government and opposition soldiers to form the unified force of 83,000 to take charge of the country's security in the three-year transitional period.

Thomas Jal Thomas, a member of the Joint Defense Board, the body charged with reviewing the security sector, said that the 1,000 officers drawn from the South Sudan People's Defense Force and various opposition groups will help train members of the unified force.

"We want to thank all those countries that supported us materially because you can see now the uniform they are wearing is donated from Egypt and the food we are eating is a donation from China," said Thomas during the graduation ceremony at the Luri military training center in Juba.

He also urged the Troika grouping that includes the United States, Britain and Norway who remain wary of funding the ongoing implementation of the revitalized peace deal to contribute more as the peace process won't collapse this time like past peace deals.

Shailesh Tinaiker, commander of the UN Mission in South Sudan peacekeepers lauded the officers during their graduation ceremony and urged them to work for peace in South Sudan.

"I am very happy to be here at this graduation ceremony of instructors who would go on to form the unified forces of South Sudan. You are the pioneers, your training period has been very short which is 10 days but you have a huge responsibility to attain," he said.

"You will be responsible for training the combined and unified forces of South Sudan. You have been selected by your leaders in a project which has a tremendous implication on national integrity and security," added Tinaiker.

The warring parties failed to form the transitional unity government in May and both agreed to a six-month extension with only one month remaining before the formation of the much-awaited transitional unity government on Nov. 12 agreed upon by the warring parties.

President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar held face-to-face talks in early September in Juba and agreed to speed up screening and registration of their forces as they enter the over 30 cantonment sites.

The Inter-governmental Authority on Development, the regional body that mediated the revitalized peace deal signed in September 2018 in Ethiopia, recently said the warring parties failed to form the unified force by the Sept. 30 deadline.

South Sudan descended into conflict in December 2013 after Kiir sacked his deputy Machar leading to fighting between soldiers loyal to respective leaders.

The conflict killed tens of thousands and displaced millions both internally and externally.

A peace deal signed in 2015 collapsed after the outbreak of renewed violence in July 2016, forcing Machar to flee the capital.

Under the 2018 peace deal, Machar will take up one of the four vice presidency positions in the transitional government. Enditem