President Salva Kiir shares light moments with his Security Adviser Tut Gatluak in 2019 | Credit | Maal Maker

The presidency has directed the National Transitional Committee to mobilize the necessary resources needed to establish the unified security forces.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, President Salva Kiir and his deputies instructed Tut Gatluak, who heads up the NTC, to accelerate the process of graduating the unified forces and developing a unified command.

There are thousands of SSPDF, SPLA-IO, and Opposition Alliance troops at various training camps across the country.

They have been at the cantonment sites for nearly two years with some choosing to leave the camps over lack of food, shelter, and medication.

The government claimed it does not have weapons to give to the unified forces. It also claims it does not have the necessary funds for logistics.

However, in the meeting, the presidency instructed former government and opposition forces to relocate to the cantonment sites for further training.

The revitalized peace deal expects the unity government to graduate 83,000 Necessary Unified Forces, unification of their command, and redeploy the forces to provide security and safeguard the gains of the peace deal.

In May, the UN Security Council set the conditions necessary for lifting the arms embargo on South Sudan.

They include the completion by the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity such as the swearing in of the national parliamentarians, appointment of the Council of States and state legislatures.

It also demands the completion of the country’s strategic defense and security review; the formation of a unified command structure.

Others are; progress on disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration; progress on proper management of existing arms and ammunition stockpiles; and the implementation of the Joint Action Plan for the Armed Forces on addressing conflict-related sexual violence.

The presidency in Juba has now decided to capacitate the transitional government in order to strengthen the country’s unity irrespective of people’s political affiliations.

The meeting was attended by President Salva Kiir, First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar, and Vice Presidents Dr. James Wani Igga, Rebecca Nyandeng, Taban Deng Gai, and Hussein Abdelbagi.