Ceasefire monitors say only 6 percent of the 83,000 unified forces have been deployed

By Awan Achiek

The transitional unity government has so far only deployed 6 per cent of the planned 83,000 unified forces as the transitional period remains with less than 8 months to end.

“The formation of the Necessary Unified Forces (NUF) is a vital prerequisite for the upcoming elections; so far only about 6% of the planned 83,000-strong NUF has actually been deployed. Time is running out. Action must be taken,” said Maj. Gen Hailu Gonfa Eddosa, the Chairperson of the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring & Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) during it’s meeting in Juba on Tuesday.

He said that the first phase of graduates from the National Security Services (NSS), Police, Civil Defence, Wildlife and Prison Service are yet to be deployed, adding that there are no indications when Phase 2 training and deployment might start.

In a similar development, Gonfa noted that the deployed members of the unified forces from the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO) and South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) in Yambio, Western Equatoria State have started receiving their salaries.

“On a positive note, CTSAMVM has evidence that at least some of those members of the NUF from the SPLM/A-IO and SSOA who have been deployed are now receiving their salaries.  There were disturbances in Yambio last week when some NUF soldiers were not paid.  This issue was resolved an all soldiers in the unit received salaries,” he disclosed.

Since October last year, the SPLA-IO and SSOA forces have not been receiving their salaries.

The unified forces from the opposition were not included in the government payroll, depriving them of salaries despite having been graduated.