At a long-delayed ceremony on Wednesday, hundreds of ex-rebels and government troops in South Sudan’s unified forces were deployed, signifying a step forward in the country’s slow-moving peace process.
Since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, the world’s newest nation has grappled with challenges, including violence, widespread poverty, and natural disasters, hindering its progress.
The amalgamation of forces aligned with President Salva Kiir and his adversary, Vice President Riek Machar, was a pivotal requirement of the 2018 peace agreement, concluding a five-year conflict that resulted in the deaths of nearly 400,000 individuals.
In August last year, tens of thousands of former combatants were incorporated into the nation’s military, yet until now, none had been deployed. These delays have led to growing frustration within the international community.
The initial battalion, consisting of nearly 1,000 soldiers, is set to be stationed in Malakal, situated in the northern Upper Nile State. This region has seen an influx of South Sudanese refugees escaping the conflict in neighboring Sudan.
During the ceremony on the outskirts of the capital Juba, Santino Wol, the country’s Chief of Defence Forces, encouraged the battalion to stay united, emphasizing, “Be a soldier and don’t get involved politics.”
The coalition government led by Kiir and Machar has struggled to fulfill significant components of the peace agreement, such as drafting a constitution and electoral laws before the scheduled elections slated for next year.
Kiir has pledged to conduct the nation’s inaugural presidential election by December 2024. However, UN envoy Nicholas Haysom cautioned in August that the authorities must establish a conducive environment to guarantee “peaceful, inclusive, and credible elections.”
“We are going for elections and you are to make sure that peace prevails so that elections can proceed peacefully,” Information Minister Michael Makuei told the soldiers on Wednesday.
Despite having substantial oil reserves, South Sudan remains one of the poorest countries globally. The nation has endured nearly half of its existence embroiled in conflicts and continues to grapple with politically motivated ethnic violence outbreaks.
