Necessary Unified Forces. (Photo credit: unknown).

The Minister of Information Michael Makuei said that the recently graduated Necessary Unified Force will be a powerless army unable to implement its mandate if deployed with sticks.

Makuei criticized the UN Security Council and the International Community for allegedly pressuring the government to deploy the forces without firearms.

“The international community is on our next calling for the deployment of forces. These forces have been graduated with sticks and they want us to deploy them with sticks. To do what?” Makuei said at a news conference in Juba.

South Sudan is currently prohibited from procuring firearms because of an arms embargo first imposed in 2018.

The arms embargo, which has been renewed every year, could also be extended to the middle of 2024 when it expires next month.

Commenting on the issue, the government spokesperson said the international pressure to deploy the forces without guns is an indirect way of obstructing the implementation of the revitalized agreement.

“So, with this extension of the arms embargo, we are being told to abide by the arms embargo. At the same time, we are being told to deploy the forces that have been graduated. To me, this is another way of obstructing the implementation of the revitalized agreement.”

Makuei reiterated calls on the UN Security Council to lift the arms embargo on the country to enable the deployment of a strong security force that can protect the people and the country.

“We have been calling upon the Security Council and the international community to lift the arms embargo. Lift the arms embargo so that a good Samaritan can give us arms for arming these soldiers who have been graduated,” he said.

“But they are saying no, you deploy them. If we deploy them with sticks later, what will they do? Will we call them a force or an army or security organ? No!”

The unity government has so far graduated over 50,000 members of the Necessary Unified Forces – the first batch of the 83,000 forces provided for in the agreement.

But several months from their graduation, the forces have not been deployed.

The information minister further said they will deploy the forces if they wish.

“These forces will be deployed if they wish, otherwise we will move them out from the training centers and put them somewhere until we get the guns,” Makuei said without explaining where the forces could be transferred to.