South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Awan Achiek
Ceasefire monitors on Thursday accused the South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF) of illegally recruiting soldiers in Mathiang barracks in Aweil town of North Bahr el Ghazal State.
“We have one report to discuss today, which involves the alleged recruitment of soldiers by SSPDF in Mathiang barracks in Aweil town, North Bahr el Ghazal State,” said Maj. Gen Hailu Gonfa Eddosa, Chairperson of the Ceasefire Transitional Security Arrangement Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) during the meeting of it’s technical committee in Juba.
Maj. Gen Jany Kaway, senior representative of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) in CTSAMVM said claims of recruitment are in violation of the 2018 revitalized peace agreement.
“It is completely a violation because the peace agreement stipulates that all forces should be unified, there is no need for recruitment in Mathinag in Aweil without the knowledge from other parties,” said Kaway.
Maj. Gen Chuol Kompuok, senior representative of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in opposition (SPLA-IO) in CTSAMVM urged the SSPDF to stop illegal recruitment of soldiers.
For his part, Lt. Gen Rabi Mujung Emmanuel, a representative of the SSPDF in CTSAMVM admitted the ongoing recruitment, adding that it is for refresher training which doesn’t violate the peace agreement.
“All of us know that any activity of training or any kind of training is not a violation as far as the agreement is concerned, if it is the matter of refresher training or any kind of training conducted by the defense or any other organized force, this is just normal and it is a prerogative activity in the agreement,” said Mujung.
