Presidential Security Advisor Tut Gatluak - Courtesy

The First Vice President has directed the High-Level Standing Committee on implementation of the 2018 revitalized peace agreement to complete the deployment of Necessary Unified Forces by April 2025, according to a top security official.

The High-Level Committee Chairperson Tut Gatluak – who is also the Presidential Advisor of Security Affairs – said Dr. Riek Machar met with his Committee and tasked them to conclude the delayed reunification of forces.

The presidential advisor said the second phase of the unification will also commence early next year.

“The FVP directed us that phase two of the forces should go to training camps after Christmas immediately in February to allow us to finish the security arrangements in time,” he said.

“We have to ensure that all forces are camped, we also discussed the outstanding issues concerning the country. All forces should be deployed. The FVP said by April all forces should be deployed.”

“No one should be outside, all of us in the security sector are committed to implement chapter two of this agreement, we have to finish what is remaining by deploying the forces in the Republic of South Sudan.”

In August 2024, the peace monitoring body R-JMEC said most of the Necessary Unified Forces (NUF) in training and cantonment sites had deserted their bases due to lack of food, water shelter and medicines.

Charles Gituai, the Chairperson of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC said since the graduation of 53,000 unified forces in phase one, only 7 percent of the 83,000 combatants have been deployed.

Gituai added that majority of the graduated forces and those yet to be trained were left waiting in the cantonment sites without the basic necessities.

The harsh condition, according to the peace observer, has forced most of them to abandon their camps. Mr. Gituai attributed the delay in the deployment and commencement of the 2^nd phase of training to the continuous lack of funding.

Recently, R-JMEC Gen. Charles Tai Gituai said he received assurances from Gatluak that the unification of the forces will be completed mid-next year after meeting the presidential advisor in Juba.

General Gituai said they discussed at length on the need to have the funding necessary for implementation of the critical provision of the 2018 peace agreement.

Additionally, he said, they discussed the need for political will from the leaders in order for the country to hold elections by the end of two years.