A political analyst has questioned whether the coming of the protection force will maintain a lasting peace in the country.

Dr James Okuk argues that there are already over 12,000 UNMISS peacekeepers in the country which he says are “helpless” in South Sudan.

On Monday, President Salva Kiir says the government will discuss with the international community ways in which deployment of the regional protection force can be best implemented in the country.

This follows the recent resolution adopted by the UN Security Council to deploy 4000 troops from the African Union regional forces in South Sudan.

The proposal was also backed by the IGAD member countries.

The force will have a strong mandate of protecting key public installations, the airport and ensuring safety of civilians in the country, among others.

Dr Okuk said South Sudanese are looking for change on the ground to forget the hardship they are experiencing in their daily lives.

“How successful will that protection force be, how different will it be from the UNMISS peacekeeping forces who are already in the country and they are helpless even to do anything,” Dr Okuk asked.

Dr Okuk was speaking to Eye Radio’s Dawn show this morning.