Necessary Unified Forces. (Photo: File).

The peace monitoring body R-JMEC said most of the Necessary Unified Forces (NUF) in training and cantonment sites have deserted their bases due to lack of food, water shelter and medicines.

Charles Gituai, the Chairperson of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC said since the graduation of 53,000 unified forces in phase one, only 7 percent of the 83,000 combatants have been deployed.

Gituai added that majority of the graduated forces and those yet to be trained were left waiting in the cantonment sites without the basic necessities.

The harsh condition, according to the peace observer, has forced most of them to abandon their camps.

Mr. Gituai attributes the delay in the deployment and commencement of the 2^nd phase training of the unified force to the continuous lack of funding.

He added that there has been only little notable progress made in the transitional security arrangements.

“All the security mechanism report lack of funding as the main obstacles to the full deployment of the graduated forces and the commencement of the phase ii training of the NUF,” he said during the mechanism’s 37th Plenary meeting in Juba.

“Troops waiting in training centers and cantonment sites, lack food medicine shelter and clean water, and as a result most troops have left their bases in search for food and necessities.”

Gituai also underscored that the finalization of the unification of the middle command echelon of the NUF is still pending.

“I request the RTGoNU and the JDB to update this plenary on the latest development on this matter and also request confirmation from the JDB regarding the deployment of the 2 battalions of the NUF as recently reported by the CTSAMVM.”

Besides, RJMEC urged the unified security command to clarify on when shall the 2,995 appointed non-commissioned officers in the South Sudan National Police Service be commissioned and assigned to their duties.