South Sudan Rival Parties Reach Agreement on Unification of Command Structure

South Sudan's rival parties reached an agreement on the unification of command on April 3, 2022 (PPU photo)

April 3, 2022 (JUBA) – Rival parties in the South Sudan conflict reached an agreement on the unification of command on Sunday, representing a key step in the implementation of the 2018 revitalized peace agreement.

The deal, mediated by the deputy chairman of Sudan’s Sovereign Council Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, will pave way for graduation of forces from cantonment sites and fast-track their deployment to provide security and protection for the population and defend the country’s territorial integrity.

The accord ends the tension that was building up in the country after relations between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar deteriorated following the latter’s withdrawal from the security mechanism.

South Sudan’s Minister for Mining, Martin Gama Abucha, who signed the deal on behalf of Machar’s SPLM/A-IO party said the deal was important because it would silence guns and allow the country to move forward.

“It is important we silence the guns so that South Sudan can prosper. Not everything is perfect, but we want to say we want to move the country forward,” he said.

For his part, the presidential adviser of security affairs, Tut Gatluak Manime said an agreement was reached because peace had to be preserved.

“This is to inform everyone that we have agreed today to unify the military command. We have agreed to divide the positions because peace is precious. We have to agree so that we develop the country,” he explained.

The deal sets out terms to integrate opposition commanders into the armed forces. The parties signed a matrix for the creation of a unified armed forces command within a week. They also agreed to graduate and deploy the unified forces in training camps within a period not exceeding two months.

Sudan’s Defence minister, Yassin Ibrahim who co-signed with the parties said the agreement is based on a proposal submitted by Sudan since last August, and there was a long discussion about it.

He further said the signed deal took into account the spirit and text of the revitalized peace agreement and included a road map and a time matrix for it implementation.

Meanwhile, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) welcomed the signing of the agreement, describing it as an important milestone towards full implementation of transitional security arrangements.

The regional bloc’s Executive Secretary, Workneh Gebeyehu commended President Kiir, Machar and the parties to the accord for the goodwill shown.

He also thanked Sudan, the current chair of IGAD, for brokering the deal.

“The Executive Secretary calls on all the parties to respect the terms of the agreement and implement it fully, faithfully and timely,” said Gebeyehu.

Under the September 2018 revitalized peace agreement, South Sudan is supposed to graduate 83,000 unified forces drawn from the various parties to take charge of security during the ongoing transitional period.

(ST)