Government needs to address abstention of unified forces in training centers

The abstention of soldiers who were graduated under Phase 1 of the Necessary Unified Forces (NUF) is deeply concerning and should prompt inquest.

The transitional unity government and development partners have invested a lot of effort in training and graduating the 83,000-strong unified forces, but the reports of abstention when it comes for deployment means all these effort put in is going to waste.

This comes after the chairperson of the ceasefire monitoring body, Maj. Gen Hailu Gonfa Eddosa, saying that over three-quarters of army graduates from August 2022 and January 2023 are missing in training centers for deployment.

Ceasefire monitors also noted that only 6 percent of soldiers have been deployed. This is worrying since the parties are readying for general election in December this year with little time left to complete the vital security arrangements.

The problem could be the conditions these forces are subjected to in either cantonment or training centers that range from lack of food, clean water, medicines and other basic materials.

The government needs to address the root cause of the abstention before time runs out.