South Sudan plans to disarm 15000 soldiers from security forces
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By Ngor Arol Garang
September 24, 2011 (JUBA) — The government of the Republic of South
Sudan on Friday unveiled plan targeting 15000 soldiers to be removed
from the active military and police services.
JPEG - 39.1 kb
General Madut Biar Yel, minister of Telecommunication and Postal
Services, takes questions from Journalists 23,2011 in Juba (photo by
Ngor Garang-ST)
UN regional coordinator for South Sudan, David Gressly, estimated in
June 2011 that the SPLA had between 150,000 and 200,000 soldiers, and
that "probably more" than half should be demobilized after secession.
The UN officials said the SPLA absorbed different groups since the
signing of the 2005 peace agreement and stressed that a small army can
be better professionalized and disciplined.
"We are targeting 8000 from Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and
7000 from other armed forces which are police, prison service, fire
brigade, wild life and other armed security organs to be demobilized,"
said Major General Madut Biar Yel, Minister of Telecommunication and
Postal Services, in a briefing to the media shortly after the weekly
cabinet meeting at the Council of Ministers in Juba on Friday.
Yel, who was speaking as acting minister of information and
broadcasting, said the decision was part of the government policy in
line with provision of the 2005 peace deal which requires the
government of South Sudan to reduce the size of its army and to make
it professional.
The senior government official said under the 2005 peace accord known
as Comprehensive Peace Agreement which the ended the over two decades
long civil war between the north and south, both sides agreed to
reduce their armies by 90,000 soldiers each. However, the program in
the south was faced with a lot of challenges including logistics and
financial resources to execute the process.
He underlined that 90,000 combatants are supposed to be demobilized
from the former rebel movement into civilian life by 2012 as it was
agreed in 2007. Actually only about 10,000 soldiers were removed from
active military services.
"This is far beyond the target. The target was 90,000 soldiers," he
said. . Officials including William Deng Deng, chairperson of the
Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration commission have often
cited challenges facing the process, some of which include
administrative issues.
Earlier minister Yel said the council also received a report on
expansion of Juba International Airports to 700 meters and upgrading
of the run way into full international land site by both domestics and
international airlines.
The weekly cabinet was chaired by acting president Riek Machar Teny.
Teny is also the vice president of the government of south Sudan.
(ST)
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