Machar calls for graduation of forces without guns

JUBA – South Sudan’s First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny has called for the graduation of the unified forces provided for in the revitalized peace agreement even if they don’t have guns, according to his office.

Machar made the remarks during a meeting in his office with the newly appointed head of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Nicolas Haysom who arrived in the country last month and who also met President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Wednesday.

“The newly appointed Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for South Sudan, Nicolas Haysom, today discussed a wide range of issues with the First Vice President of the Republic, H.E. Dr. Riek Machar Teny,” Machar’s office statement reads in part.

The two men, according to the statement, discussed the implementation of the revitalized peace deal signed by Machar and President Salva Kiir in 2018 and which has seen several setbacks especially in the implementation of the security arrangements.

“The First Vice President and the new chief of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) discussed the status of the implementation of the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCISS), with emphasis on its challenges,” the statement said.

The statement said Machar who is also the opposition SPLM-IO leader briefed the new UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the delay experienced by the graduation of the unified forces and called for an immediate graduation of the forces without gun.

“Dr. Machar briefed the UN official at length on the progress made and the pending issues, inter alia, the delay in the graduation and deployment of the necessary unified forces as stipulated in the transitional security arrangements,” the statement said.

“Dr. Machar said it would be better to graduate the forces even if they don’t have weapons,” the statement said.