In a long-overdue development, hundreds of former rebels and government troops in South Sudan’s unified forces were finally deployed on Wednesday, marking a significant stride in the country’s stammering peace process.
Since attaining independence from Sudan in 2011, the world’s newest nation has grappled with challenges, including violence, ingrained poverty, and natural calamities.
The integration of forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and his adversary, Vice President Riek Machar, was a pivotal precondition of the 2018 peace deal that concluded a five-year conflict, claiming the lives of nearly 400,000 people.
Last year in August, tens of thousands of ex-combatants were absorbed into the country’s army. Nonetheless, their deployment has been awaited until now, fostering frustration in the global community due to the incessant delays.
The inaugural battalion, comprising almost 1,000 soldiers, is slated for deployment to Malakal in northern Upper Nile State. Malakal has been receiving a substantial influx of South Sudanese refugees who fled the conflict in neighbouring Sudan.
During the ceremony on the outskirts of Juba, the capital, the country’s Chief of Defence Forces, Santino Wol, exhorted the battalion to uphold unity, asserting, “Be a soldier and avoid entanglement in politics.”
The unity government led by Kiir and Machar has largely fallen short in meeting crucial tenets of the peace agreement, notably the drafting of a constitution and electoral laws in preparation for the upcoming polls scheduled for next year.
While Kiir has pledged to conduct the country’s maiden presidential election by December 2024, UN envoy Nicholas Haysom cautioned in August that the authorities must cultivate a conducive environment to ensure “peaceful, inclusive, and credible elections.”
Information Minister Michael Makuei admonished the soldiers on Wednesday, emphasizing, “We are heading towards elections, and it is incumbent upon you to ensure the prevalence of peace for the smooth conduct of elections.”
Despite being endowed with vast oil reserves, South Sudan remains one of the most impoverished countries globally. It has spent nearly half of its existence as a nation embroiled in conflict, with politically motivated ethnic violence continuing to convulse the nation.
– Africanews/Hauwa M.
