JDB officials brief unified force during a visit to Ngo-halima cantonment site in Western Bahr el Ghazal State. (Photo/Sarah Cleto/Facebook).

A Joint Defense Board (JDB) delegation made an assessment visit to a cantonment site in Western Bahr el Ghazal on Tuesday in preparations for Phase Two of the security arrangement.

WBGs governor, Sarah Cleto Rial said the visiting team comprised deputy defense chief, General Gabriel Duop Lam, and senior military officials including General Ashab Khamis Fahal and General Samson Wesley, among others.

The delegation also made the assessment to prepare for the deployment of the Necessary Unified Forces (NUF), the governor said.

Ms. Cleto said the team directed the cantoned forces to report to training centers, update them on the progress of Middle Command preparations.

“The purpose of this mission is to; prepare the cantoned forces for Phase II of training, graduation and deployment of the Necessary Unified Forces (NUF), instruct them to report to training centers, update them on the progress of Middle Command preparations,” Cleto said.

“We were warmly received by Maj. Gen. Benson Joseph the commander of Division 6 (A), commanders of respective brigades, and senior officers.”

The ceasefire monitoring body CTSAM-VM expressed disappointment on Tuesday over the slow pace of the deployment of the Necessary United Force provided for in the 2018 peace deal.

Currently, at least 3,774 troops (only 6%) have been deployed out of the 53,000 NUF graduated in the first phase of the security arrangement, according to the government.

In a statement during its meeting in Juba, CTSAM-VM’s chairperson Major General Hailu Gonfa Eddosa said Phase 1 graduates from the National Security, Police, Civil Defence, Wildlife and Prison Service have not been deployed.

General Gonfa sai there are no indications as to when Phase 2 of the security arrangement, which include the training and deployment of around 30,000 troops, might start.