Juba, South Sudan
April 29, 2022 — Soldiers at Mapel Training Center in Western Bahr el Ghazal State are appealing to be sent home to re-join their families saying they have been waiting for far too long and the process is unpredictable.
The trainees, who have been stationed at the center since 2019, are now saying they are faded up of the government’s empty promises to graduate them without keeping up with those promises.
Some of those who voiced their frustrations on media said they are also in dire need of food and clean drinking water.
One of the trainees, who named himself only as Garang, said the situation is becoming unbearable with the coming of yet another rainy season.
“We have completed the training a long time ago, we are ready for graduation, we are in the rainy season, our children are tired at home and we are tired at the training center,” Garang protested.
“I’m a soldier and I have to endure the situation but it should not be to this level, it should not be hunger, no food, no money for my family and no graduation, this is too much. You can come and see this situation by yourself, there is no food here at all,” he said.
Thousands of peace soldiers, who are stationed at various cantonment sites across the country, have on several occasions said the peace parties in Juba have betrayed their sacrifices.
They said the government made many failed pledges to graduate the forces but factors such as insufficient funding, lack of political will among the peace parties as well as allegations of many ranks in the opposition forces are being used as scapegoat by the main political rivals.
Number of trainees are reported to have died of starvation and sickness in cantonments and training sites as they awaited the seemingly illusive graduation into the new national army.
Another soldier, William who is also stationed at Mapel Center since 2019, said the trainees have resorted to petty businesses like cutting woods for sale in order to cater for their families.
Chapter two of the revitalized peace agreement requires the cantoning, screening, and training of 83,000 Necessary Unified Forces to safeguard the peace deal.
According to the peace deal, unifying the forces will provide security guarantees for the transitional government of national unity, unlike in 2016 when the forces were divided.
