The chairperson of NTC, Tut Gatluak and the heads of security mechanisms during the meeting in Juba this morning/Gore Anthony.

The National Transitional Committee has urged the Ministry of Finance and Planning to release more than 14 million US dollars for the graduation of the necessary unified forces.

Stephen Phar Kuol, the Minister of Peace-building and member of the NTC appeals to the Finance Ministry to release the required amount to expedite implementation of the security arrangements.

Phar Kuol said the amount will cover the deployment and integration of the forces, as well as enabling graduation of the second batch.

Phar, who spoke during the 23rd plenary meeting of the peace-monitoring body, R-JMEC on Thursday, said the delay in graduating the unified army is due to funding shortage.

“During the deliberation, the board [NTC] recognized unintended delayment of the graduation of the necessary unified forces due to shortage of funding,” he said.

Minister Phar said the NTC convened an emergency board meeting last month to reiterate its call for the release of the amount.

“The board resolved to urge the ministry of finance and economic planning to immediately release the required funds for the graduation of forces, deployment of DDR and face two of the necessary unified forces,” said the minister.

The National Transitional Committee, or NTC is a body charged with supervising the implementation of the 2018 revitalized peace deal.

Thousands of troops from the SSPDF, SPLA-IO, and South Sudan Opposition Alliance have been at various training camps for three years pending graduation and deployment across the country.

The trainees have been languishing at the cantonment sites for nearly two years, with some choosing to dessert the camps over lack of food, shelter, medication and the urge to take care of their families.

The graduation of the necessary unified forces has been postponed several times due to what the government terms as lack of funds.

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

However, observers and activists have criticized the delay as lack of political will, citing the millions of dollars the government offered the NTC.

Meanwhile, Minister Stephen Phar urges the Ministry of Finance to release the amount for long anticipated graduation of the unified army.

“The requested budget covers the graduation, deployment, DDR integration program, screening of the forces. The NTC urges the ministry of finance and economic planning to release the funds earmarked for graduation, deployment, DDR, screening of forces and face two,” he said.

In June last year, President Salva Kiir and his deputies instructed Security Advisor Tut Gatluak, who heads the NTC, to accelerate the process of graduating the unified forces and developing a unified command.

At least 53,000 troops are expected to graduate from the training camps. They include the army, police, and national security, among others.

The revitalized peace agreement however provided for the training and graduation of 83,000.

Last week, President Salva Kiir said the presidency would soon pick a date for graduation of the necessary unified forces.