FVP presents list of forces for 2nd phase of NUF training and redeployment|Photo|Courtesy

The training of phase two of the necessary unified forces is expected to commence in two weeks-time as First Vice President Dr Riek Machar submitted the list of SPLA-IO forces to President Kiir on Friday, according to Presidential Security Advisor.

President Salva Kiir and his first deputy reached the decisions during a close door meeting  Friday.

Today (Friday), we agreed upon the start of the second phase of training the unified forces. the leader of the opposition forces had delivered their lists which were presented to the President of the Republic,” said Tut Gatluak, the Chairperson of the National Transitional Committee,.

Gatluak who is also the Presidential Security Advisor said;  The forces of the second phase will enter the camps two weeks from today, according to the President’s directives, and they will be trained and distributed according to the agreement of the military leadership.”

The Presidential Advisor added that both parties are committed to implementing the key provisions of the peace agreement to achieve sustainable peace and stability in the country.

The unity government has so far graduated over 53, 000 of the unified forces, but only about 7% percent of them,a counting for over 4000 have been redeployed, according to the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC).

The announcement to start the training and deployment of the second phase of unified forces comes weeks after the UN Secretary General, US government and the peace monitoring body,  R-JMEC called for speedy implementation of the peace agreement.

They stressed the importance of provision of security to guarantee the conduct of , free, fair, transparent, credible and peaceful democratic elections at the end of the transitional period.