Parties form committees to allocate unified army positions

JUBA – South Sudan’s parties to the revitalized peace agreement have formed committees to reorganize army positions and divide them among themselves, according to a statement by the Joint Defense Board (JDB).

The JDB is one of the security mechanisms established by the revitalized peace agreement signed by President Salva Kiir Mayardit and Dr. Riek Machar Teny in September 2018.

It’s task is to oversee the implementation of the security arrangements provided for the the peace agreement.

In a statement on Wednesday, the JDB said it agreed during a meeting in Juba yesterday that it has launched committees to discuss the allocation of the senior unified army command among the forces.

“Today the JDB launched the committees tasked with allocation of responsibility sharing among the forces to the R-ARCSS (SSPDF/ IG,  SPLA-IO and SSOA),” the statement reads in part.

“The  committees shall work in line with the agreed command structure of the Army, NSS, Police and the other Organised forces,” it added.

While stressing that the latest decisions marks an important step in the implementation of the security arrangements, the Board said the committees have seven days to complete the task.

“The JDB Co-Chairs gave the committees seven (7) working days to complete this huge task, beginning on 1/04/2021,” it says.

“This process is a step forward towards the long awaited unification of command which will then pave way to the graduation of the Necessary Unified Forces that are in the Training Centres,” it further adds.