Military police personnel at a graduation parade in Yei River County. (-)

The South Sudan People Defense Force (SSPDF) graduated at least 90 Military Police on Tuesday to be deployed for civilians’ protection in Yei River County.

The Military Police underwent a six-month intensive training on the role of Military Police in civilian protection and law enforcement.

Yei County Commissioner Aggrey Cyrus Kanyikwa said the graduated military police, selected from different SSPDF units will be divided into administrative and operational roles in the county.

He adds that other duties of the military police will be to combat crimes associated with military and armed crimes.

“They are going to be divided into two responsibilities, some of them are going to be administrative military police and others are going to be operations military police,” Cyrus said in an interview with Eye Radio.

“The administrative military police are going to be managing military detention cells and then the operation one will be combating crimes associated with military or any armed crimes.”

Aggrey further stressed that the military forces will assist the police in protecting government installations and crowded centers like markets.

“For now, they will be deployed in Yei. They will also assist the police in protecting installations key centers for example the hospital where they will block armed personnel from entrance.”

“They can also assist in providing protection to other government installations and some will be deployed in the markets to arrest any military person that enters the market with gun or weapon.”