Unified Police at Rajaf Training Center. | Photo: Lou Nelson/Eye Radio.

Leaders of the joint security mechanisms of revitalized agreement have appealed to the unified police officers awaiting graduation to stay out of politics, and pledge allegiance to the nation.

General Gabriel Duop Lam, and Gen. Majak Akech said the peace soldiers represent the country, and not the politicians in the revitalized agreement.

Addressing nearly 8,000 police officers at Rajaf training center on Wednesday, the Deputy Chief of Defense Forces General Duop Lam said the officers should be nationalists and disconnect from politicians.

“When you graduate from here, there is no army of a party, no police of a party, you are going to be the police of South Sudan,” General Duop said to the trainees.

Thousands of the unified forces are awaiting graduation from various cantonment and training centers across the country.

The former warring parties, now colleagues in the army are from the SSPDF, SPLA-IO and the South Sudan Opposition Alliance, or SSOA.

They are expected to graduate on August 30, in what could be a milestone achievement in the peace implementation.

“Some of you may be transferred to Bahr el Ghazal, to Upper Nile and other in the headquarter here and headquarters of other states. During your deployment you will be mixed and we don’t want to see any discrimination and politics of division among yourselves,” said General Duop.

“We want you to be united, be nationalists. Nationalism is not a one-way traffic, when you talk about nationalism, start with yourselves, your brothers and this is how we can move this country forward.”

For his part, the Inspector General of Police advised the police officers to exhibit professionalism in their work to protect the civil population.

“Distance yourselves from politicians and politics, this is a directive from the President. You are police of South Sudan without discrimination.”

Gen. Majak Akech also cautioned the officers against tribalism.

“We in the police don’t have tribes, states or personalities. We only work with our ranks and units, we have operation, traffic, immigration, CID, VIP protection unit, diplomatic police, standard police and so forth. These are our tribes.”

According to the Institute for Security Studies, task of security sector reform in South SUdan has been frustrated by a militarized political culture that could see political tensions boiling over into armed conflict.

The institute said both the ruling party and opposition in the country, are founded on military movements with weak political wings.

As a result, the lines are blurred between the leadership and the armed forces, whereas the tendency reinforces ethnic divisions that impede unification of forces.

Transforming the former SPLA, now SSPDF, into a professional army has been a promise made by several former Chiefs of Defense Forces.

But experts said the task has not been easy – considering the rampant corruption by top military leaders, and the level of illiteracy among the soldiers.

They reported that the army is still loyal to individual politicians and community leaders.

A Sentry report said that South Sudan has more military generals than doctors.