A senior military officer at Rombur training centre has expressed frustration over the delay in graduating the unified forces, a year after undergoing training.
The unified forces, west of Juba started their training on the 7th of January 2020 and completed it last November.
They have been waiting for information from the Ministry of Defense on when the graduation and unification will take place.
The government has postponed graduation several times due to lack of logistics and finances.
According to various reports, the delay and lack of funding for the cantonment and training sites have forced hundreds of soldiers to desert the camps to look for food and medical supplies.
Senior military leaders across the country have also reported the death of soldiers due to lack of proper care.
Some soldiers at Rombur training camp, which is a few minutes away from Juba, say they are tired of waiting to be graduated.
“ There is no change, life is not okay, there’s no drugs, no food,” said General Samuel [the second name withheld].
He appealed to the transitional government to take seriously their responsibility to the soldiers.
“Those who put us in the centre last year…say there is no budget, but let them talk to the peace partners to come up with a budget for graduation.”
The forces at Rombur training camp and other sites in the country are comprised of soldiers from different parties to the revitalized peace agreement.
They were selected to be part of the 83,000 Necessary Unified Forces that will safeguard the implementation of the peace agreement.