December 21st 2018 (Nyamilepedia) –Â The Joint Defence Board (JDB) tasked by the revitalized peace deal to be in charge of the security arrangements has met in the South Sudanese capital Juba on Thursday for the first time since its previous meeting in Khartoum last month.
Under regional and international pressure, South Sudan President, Salva Kiir Mayardiit and opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar Teny signed a peace deal in September in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to end the war.
The agreement in Addis Ababa followed months of intense negotiations among delegates of the government and opposition who must, by the time, sign a pact or face international or further regional isolation.
The government in late October conducted a peace celebration ceremony in the capital Juba and was attended by regional leaders as well as the SPLM-IO leader Dr. Machar.
Speaking to the Nyamilepedia on Friday, SPLA-IO deputy spokesman Col. Lam Paul Gabriel said the board resolved to temporarily use the current location of forces as cantonment areas and this is only in case the board found no funds for establishment of cantonment areas.
“The amalgamation of forces first start with cantonment of forces in identified areas. However, funds must be there for the cantonment areas to be formed for this purpose,” he told the Nyamilepedia this afternoon.
“If the board failed to secure funds from the international community to establish cantonment areas, current locations of the forces will serves as the cantonment areas for the forces until things goes well accept civilians centres like schools and hospitals curently occupied,” he added.
The meeting was co-chaires by Gen. Gabriel Jok Riak the SSPDF Chief who is also the Chairperson of the Joint Defence Board (JDB)Â and SPLA-IO DCoGS for Operation Gen. Koang Chuol Ranley.
