First Lt. General Santino Deng Wol, SSPDF Chief of Defense Forces, First. Lt. General Duop Lam, Deputy Chief of Defense Forces (right) and Lt. General Majak Akech, Inspector-General of Police stand at ease during the graduation of forces. | 30th August 2022. | Lou Nelson.

The unity government is planning to introduce a new slogan for the unified security forces to replace partisan slogans including Oyee and Viva, an activist has disclosed.

According to Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, the unified security command has decided to unveil a new slogan for the unified forces, which is “South Sudan Victory!”

In a statement extended to Eye Radio, Yakani applauded the security leadership for responding to the call of reform for the unified forces.

“We are informed by a reliable source that the leadership of the unified command has taken the directive of introducing a new slogan for the unified forces,” said Yakani.

“The new slogan is all the unified forces in their various sectors, when they want to raise a slogan, they would say; South Sudan Victory! South Sudan Victory!”

The activist said his organization had campaigned for the change of slogan as one of the measures that can unify the national army and security forces.

According to international observers, South Sudan army and other organized rebel groups have been accused of tribal affiliation and failure to protect civilians during the years of civil war.

The Institute for Security Studies noted in a report, that security sector reform in the country has been frustrated by a militarized political culture that could see political tensions boiling over into armed conflict.

The institute said both the ruling party and opposition in the country, are founded on military movements with weak political wings.

It noted that as a result, the lines are blurred between the leadership and the armed forces, whereas the tendency reinforces ethnic divisions that impede unification of forces.

“The armed forces have become powerful instruments aligned to individuals rather than the state,” the Think-tank said in a report last year.

Should the alleged change of slogan be true, security forces will be strictly prohibited using the Oyee, Viva and Ta kaboom, which will only be used by politicians.