Soldiers parade at Luri Training Center at a deployment event. November 15, 2023. (Eye Radio).

Juba, South Sudan (Eye Radio) – The South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) has announced the recruitment of 4,000 new personnel, including positions in the riverine forces and the peacekeeping unit.

This was confirmed today by SSPDF spokesperson Major General Lul Ruai during a press conference held at SSPDF Headquarters in Juba, on Monday, June 9, 2025.

Under the motto, “Serve your nation, build a professional and modern army,” recruitment will begin tomorrow, aiming to strengthen key units within the national army.

Out of the total recruits, 3,000 will be enlisted into the SSPDF’s riverine forces, which are responsible for patrolling and securing the country’s rivers.

The remaining 1,000 recruits will join the SSPDF peacekeeping forces, which participate in international peace missions alongside troops from over 120 countries.

Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai outlined the criteria for applicants, emphasizing that recruitment is open to willing, brave, dedicated, and patriotic South Sudanese citizens aged between 18 and 35.

Applicants must possess at least a secondary school certificate or its equivalent, be physically fit, mentally sound, morally upright, have no criminal record, and be fluent in English and Arabic — the two main languages used in the military.

“The office of SSPDF’s spokesperson is proud to announce an open recruitment aimed at filling 3,000 vacancies in the National Army,” said Gen. Lul.

“Applicants must be South Sudanese citizens aged 18 to 35, with a secondary school certificate or equivalent. They must be physically fit, mentally sound, morally upright, with no criminal record, and fluent in Arabic and English, the primary languages used within our military.”

Training for the riverine units will take place in Lelo, Makal County, Upper Nile State, and will last six months. Peacekeeping recruits will undergo similar training in a village west of Juba, Central Equatoria State, for the same duration. Each applicant is required to bring two passport-sized photos upon reporting.

The recruitment drive is structured to cover all ten states and three administrative areas. For the 3,000 riverine recruits, each state will recruit 240 individuals, while the three administrative areas will recruit 200 each, adding up to 600.

For the 1,000 peacekeeping recruits, each state will enlist 80 personnel, totaling 800, while the three administrative areas will recruit 50 each, with an additional 50 reserved for the Joint Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JVMM) in Juba.

Recruitment will run for two weeks, with reporting and registration taking place at SSPDF divisional, state, and administrative headquarters across South Sudan.

Maj. Gen. Lul concluded by emphasizing the army’s commitment to building a disciplined and professional force, encouraging the youth to seize this opportunity to serve their nation.