Necessary Unified Forces. (Photo credit: unknown).

The unity government on Monday passed out at least 9,500 members of the necessary unified forces in Malakal town of Upper Nile state, bringing the total number of graduated security forces to 49,300.

This follows the first graduation of over 21,000 in Central Eqautoria State on August 30 and the graduation of another 13,600 from the Greater Bahr el Ghazal Region this month.

Further 1,500 peace forces have also graduated in Torit, the capital of Eastern Equatoria State, in addition to 2,000 graduated in Western Equatoria State in September and 1,701 in Bor, capital of Jonglei State.

Major General Lul Ruai Koang, the South Sudan People’s Defense Force spokesperson said the nearly 10,000 troops in Upper Nile State – were drawn from the armed forces of the peace parties.

They are 3,065 police personnel, 4,834 soldiers, 396 civil defense personnel, 853 wildlife wardens, and 351 prison wardens.

Speaking to Eye Radio from Malakal town, Major General Lul said 59 personnel died during training in Upper Nile, over the last three years.

“We have just graduated 9,558 from the necessary unified forces. The graduated necessary unified forces are going to be deployed based on the plan should be drawn by the Joint Defense Board.”

The Graduation of Unified Force in Malakar Upper Nile State pic.twitter.com/d2Rs91Uia1

— Peter Louis (@peterlouis6) November 21, 2022

The graduation at the Malakal stadium was attended by Tut Gatluak, the Presidential Advisor on Security Affairs, and Angelina Teny, the Minister of Defense and Veteran Affairs among others.

The 2018 revitalized peace deal expects the unity government to graduate 83,000 unified forces drawn from the various parties to take charge of security during the ongoing transitional period.

But due to financial constraints, the peace parties had planned to graduate and deploy more than 52,000 forces before embarking on the next phase.

The last phase targeting the 52,000 will be in the unity state.