Army generals pose for a picture in the recent past | Credit | Unknown

The Joint Defense Board has established technical committees to allocate responsibility-sharing among some parties to the revitalized peace agreement.

The established committees are that of the police, and a technical committee for the national security.

They shall work on the unification of command that includes the SSPDF, SPLA-IO and South Sudan Opposition Alliance, or SSOA.

The 2018 peace deal provides for the unification of the rival forces to form a professional national army consisting of 83,000 soldiers.

Currently, the SSPDF has a Chief of Defense Forces, while the SPLA-IO maintains its Chief of General Staff, among other field commanders.

But the agreement says the forces shall fall under one commander-in-chief, President Salva Kiir.

There shall also be one Chief of Defense Forces, among other military hierarchies.

According to the deputy military spokesperson of the SPLA-IO, the just established committees shall harmonize ranks and files of the army, police, civil defense, wildlife, and prisons service.

“We have the CDF, we have the deputy CDF, the inspector general of the army, then the assistant deputies down to the director generals and thee directors. This is the structure that we have here,” Colonel Lam Paul said. “We also have the divisions, brigades and also the battalions.”

He noted that the move will pave way for the graduation of the necessary unified forces.

“We hope that they put political difference aside towards a national agenda and security of the country.”

The technical committees are headed by the SSPDF Chief of Defense Forces, General Johnson Juma Okot, and co-chaired by Lieutenant General Gabriel Duop of SPLA-IO, and Lieutenant General Juluis Tabuley of SSOA.