Augustino Njoroge, the interim chairperson of RJMEC | File photo

The peace monitoring and evaluation body has expressed disappointment over “lack of progress” in the training and unification of forces.

In November, President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar extended-for the second time-the pre-transitional period by 100 days to allow for the completion of the remaining tasks.

The number and boundaries of the states and the security arrangements are among the tasks that are meant to be completed before February 22 next year.

The peace agreement obligates all the forces to be cantoned, screened and unified before the formation of a unity government.

Last month, members of various security mechanisms met in Juba to draw a road-map for timely implementation of the security arrangements.

The National Pre-Transitional Committee announced last week that it has allocated 16 million dollars for implementation of the security arrangements.

But according to the peace monitoring body, training and unification of forces is yet to start with just over two months to the formation of a unity government.

The Interim Chairperson of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission said the peace monitoring body has so far noticed no progress on the security arrangements.

“A lot of time has already been lost and there is no significant progress in the implementation of the critical pending pre-transitional tasks that I can mention today, This of course is very disappointing,” Augostino Njoroge said in RJMEC’s plenary meeting on Tuesday in Juba.

“As a result of the delay in the disbursement of funds, I must state that there has not been any meaningful progress to report on. To be specific, no screening, no selection and no training has taken place.”

But the the Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Secretary of the National Pre-Transitional Committee said last week, the Joint Military and Ceasefire Commission was allocated four million US. dollars to to speed up the process of training and unifying the forces.

“The Joint Defense Board has given the responsibility of assisting the two mechanisms with logistics to make sure that forces are moved from cantonment to the training where necessary and to be able to help them with the management of forces so they got four million dollars,” Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro said.

Last week, the SPLA –IO deputy military spokesperson, Col. Lam Paul Gabriel said soldiers at the cantonment sites continue to complain of inadequate supplies as they wait for the Joint Military Ceasefire Commission to begin training them.