Opinion: The Security Arrangements of R-ARCSS

By Gen. Salva Mathok Gengdit, MP.

April 3, 2022 — The security arrangements of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan of 2018 (chapter II) was the only area left halfway for implementation.

I always thank the two leaders, H.E President Salva Kiir Mayardit and H.E First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar Teny and other parties’ leaders who went along long way to implement a very complicated peace agreement. Now, the National Assembly and Council of States plus states’ Assemblies’ Executives are functioning to Boma level in the country.

Today, there are problems arising in security arrangements, counter-accusations arise between SSPDF and SPLA/IO, and those accusations circulated on all media platforms daily until  resulted SPLM/A -IO  suspended their activities in all security arrangement mechanisms.

This is a failure of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC) and The Joint Defence Board (JDB). The JDB allowed itself to be politicised and influenced by the politicians. Based on my knowledge, security does not go with rumours, flattering and assumptions about politics.

The failures of JDB are as follows:

1. Allowing forces to cantonment sites without their individual weapons while they were old soldiers fighting each other. Instead of asking the government to provide guns to them, where are the guns that they were using to fight each other? 

2. Putting all forces under training without screening in which civilians entered with unauthorised ranks.

3. Failed to verify and investigate violence or complaints raised by each party. 

SPLM IO – A suspended their cooperation on security arrangements which is alarming, this can lead to another war and this country does not deserve another confusion or unnecessary war. I know some individuals benefit from such confusion or war.

Why is the Presidency is keeping silent and not to intervene and things are falling apart in the country? Yes, I quite agree with what H.E President Salva Kiir Mayardit said in his Press Statement on 28/03/2022 that, he will not take people back to war. But, the security situation in the country is provoked by a situation of fear of the unknown. As I speak, the citizens are now scared, some are even leaving the country with their children amidst fear of the unknown due to disinformation.

The reports of misunderstanding in the cantonment sites within the forces due to wild rumours and disinformation.

I disagree with those who blame Hon. Tut Gatluak Manime the Security Advisor to the President and Gen. Akol Koor Kuch, the Director-General of National Security Services, these people even went far as recommending their (Tut & Akol) removal from their respective positions alleging that they have failed to address the issues of security arrangements.

These are wishful thoughts because R-JMEC and JDB are implementors of security arrangements. Let one understand the security mechanisms on how they are operating. 

According to my research, below are the reasons for the delay in security arrangements:

1. There are no weapons (guns) to graduate the unified forces.

2. Defections or desertions within SPLM/IO – A to SSPDF is one of the reasons delaying the graduation of unified forces.

3. The DDR commission is not ready to receive the leftover or demolished personnel after graduation due to the lack of funds.

4. The Nature of the unified forces in cantonment that are going to be graduated, some have problems with seniority because others defected from SSPDF with low ranks, some were NCOs and came back with high ranks while their colleagues who remained in SSPDF are still NCOs.

For the interest of the implementation of R-ARCSS, I hereby call upon H.E Dr. Riek Machar Teny to call off his suspension in security arrangements since he made his concerns known publicly.

I also advise H.E President Salva Kiir Mayardit that you had implemented 3/4 of the R-ARCSS, your relationship is to cooperate and implement other parts left for the agreement. This requires commitment as a MUST to cooperate with H.E First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny and the leaders of the other parties to implement the peace agreement to push us for elections. Without trust among yourselves or not willing to cooperate, nothing will go forward in this Nation.

I also advise H.E President Salva Kiir Mayar to hold on releasing any further security reports related to the 2013-2016 incidences because it’s destabilising the existing normal political and security situation in the country.

His Excellency, there are 120 International NGOs and over 400 National NGOs operating in the country.  Most of these organisations have involved in reporting political and Security issues in the country which are biased and misleading reports to the public and the international communities. They also invaded taxes by bringing in goods for projects implementation and later ended up in the markets.

Your Excellency, I advise you to form a committee that will make a total screening of all NGOs operating in this country because they are part of our problems politically, with insecurity and economically. 

Your Excellency, as you mentioned in your recent Press Statement, there are security problems prevailing in the country which are challenges to the leadership to be addressed. To Mention few, these include:

(A) The Jonglei crisis

(B) Central Equatoria and Eastern Equatoria with Jonglei on cattle grazing.

(C) Abyei and Twic Mayardit communities and among others.

Now, SSPDF is bogged down in dealing with Internal Security Operations while the country’s lands are being annexed by foreign armies.

Lastly, if we allow another war to take place, this country would never be ours, because we have security, economic and political situations in the country that requires joint/collective efforts on how to tackle them.

The writer is a member of parliament of the R-TNLA, Former Caretaker Governor of Warrap State, Former SPLA Deputy Chief of General Staffs for administration, Former Presidential advisor on SPLA  affairs currently SSPDF,  a former deputy National Minister of Interior and a former member of the JDB for Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) – He is reachable via +211925571888.