Government sends food to cantonment sites ahead of phase two training

Trucks are seen in Juba on Tuesday as they prepare to deliver food to cantonment sites across the country.

By Simon Deng

The National Transitional Committee (NTC) charged with the supervision of the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement on Tuesday dispatched 200 metric tons of food to various cantonment sites across the country.

 This comes as the transitional unity government prepares to start the second phase of training for the unified forces.

Stephen Par Kuol, the National Minister for Peacebuilding who also doubles as the secretary for the National Transitional Committee told journalists in Juba, that the food will be delivered to cantonment sites, unified forces units and Joint Military Ceasefire Commission (JMCC).

“We are coming to launch distribution of food supply, this is emergency food, it is 13 trucks with 200 metric tonnes, the destination are cantonment camps, unified forces units and JMCC cantonment camps,” Kuol said.

He said that the second phase of training unified forces will begin as soon as possible depending on the availability of funds.

Kuol revealed that the revitalized transitional government of national unity is working to complete the implementation of the security arrangements, adding that the first phase is completed after the deployment of the 52,000 unified forces.

 “The revitalized government of national unity is working, you have seen the deployment of forces, the first phase is completed with graduation of forces and deployment of forces, the first phase is ended and we are now entering into phase two,” he said.

On April 2022, the parties to the revitalized agreement signed a deal to unify the security command structure in a bid to allow for the integration of armed forces comprising mainly of the South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF), the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army- In Opposition (SPLM/A- IO) and South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA).

South Sudan attained its independence from Sudan on July 9, 2011. However, in December 2013, leadership wrangles within the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) led to the outbreak of armed conflict between the SPLM and the opposition movement that became known as the SPLM-IO.