Kiir directs army to reorganize as commanders kick off 3-day consultative meeting

JUBA — South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit has directed the military command of the South Sudan People Defense Force (SSPDF) to transform the army into a force that respects civilians and international laws.

Kiir who is also the army commander-in-chief issued this directive during the opening session of a three-day consultative meeting of high ranking military commands at Bilpam on Thursday.

The objectives of the meeting is to reorganize the army, mobilize logistics as well as mobilize and modernize the army into a professional defense force.

“You know, this is the time to organize the forces that have been fighting each other in the past. This is the time for organization of the SSPDF,” Mayardit said at the consultative meeting on Thursday.

The President urged the military commanders to speed up the reintegration of all the forces as stipulated in the 2018 peace deal.

“The organization of these forces shouldn’t have taken place a long time ago if were working with one spirit of togetherness,” he said.

He encouraged the leadership of the SSPDF to work hard in tackling the outstanding issues regarding the restructuring of the army.

“Let us inform ourselves to work together toward reorganization of the army. A few weeks ago, there was fighting in Mabang and if there is fighting every day, people will not be able to organize themselves,”

According to the 2018 peace deal, the peace parties are supposed to unify their forces under one command and transform it into a national army.

There have been several reports that soldiers are leaving the cantonment sites due to a lack of food, medication, and shelter.

Their graduation has been postponed severally due to what the government described as a lack of funds.

Several soldiers had reportedly died while in the training and cantonment camps in Rajaf, Mundri, and other places.

Observers believe the delay to unify and graduate the forces have forced some SSPDF, and ex-rebel soldiers to desert the cantonment sites across the country.

However, the UN has raised concerns that these soldiers could cause insecurity in villages and along the major highways.