Nov 25, 2020(Nyamilepedia) — Soldiers who have been training at Rombur training center are calling on the government to brief them about their graduation as they have completed their training.
These soldiers have been waiting for the unification and deployment process but the government keeps on postponing the process.
“What we want is our government and all opposition parties to come and brief us,” a soldier who declined to be named told a local tabloid on Wednesday.
“We are approaching merry Christmas and the new year. We are here suffering at training centers and our children are suffering as well,” the soldier continued.
Some of the soldiers say that they are suffering in the centers as they lack food and other basic necessities.
The trainees said they have even abandoned the training without graduating with the hopes of better life out of the camp.
One of the trainees said that they have not been with their families nether have they supported them since they started the training.
“Now, we here and our families are crying, calling us to help and join them for the New Year and Christmas celebrations,” said another trainee
The ceasefire monitoring body, CTYSAM-VM, has warned that the cantonment sites were nearing collapse.
As per the revitalized peace agreement, the soldiers expected to be unified together with the government forces.
Their call came in the wake of the Minister of Defense and Veteran Affairs , Angelina Teny, postponing the graduation so that the government can train commands
“We have started training the command because you cannot graduate without having a new command,” Ms Teny stressed.
On Monday, the head of secretariat of the Joint Transitional Security Committee asked the parties to avail $80 million it had requested for the unification of the national army, national security service, police, prisons, fire brigade and wildlife services.
“Our budget was 93 million US dollars to unify and train all the forces of South Sudan. We got 9 to 10 million only,” Major General Olaw Adiang stated.
The revitalized peace agreement requires the cantonment, screening, and training of 83,000 Necessary Unified Forces to safeguard the peace deal.
The accord said unifying the forces will provide security guarantees for the transitional government of national unity, unlike in 2016 when the forces were divided.
