The deployment of three battalions from the east African states was approved by the UN Security Council in May a month after the East African states had planned to send the troops.
Kenya and Rwanda are yet to send their troops.The troops will protect the monitoring and evaluation team that is to assess how the warring factions of South Sudan are implementing the cease fire agreement they signed in January 2014.
The IGAD had initially wanted the regional force to not only protect people, but also fight the rebels. The rebels, however, said that the authority would then cease to be a genuine mediator and declare itself as an enemy.
Some 20 areas in South Sudan have been identified for evaluation. 12,000 troops are already present in South Sudan, who operate under the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, UNMISS. Their main mandate is to protect civilians.
