(JUBA) – South Sudan is set to begin the second phase of training for its Necessary Unified Forces by the end of August, according to Gen. Kuol Manyang Juk, Chairman of the National Transitional Committee (NTC) and senior presidential advisor.
Gen. Manyang announced the plans following a meeting in Juba on Tuesday, explaining that preparations are now underway to train the remaining soldiers who will join the unified forces.
“There has been a productive meeting, and within the coming few weeks, by the end of this month, training will start for the second group,” Gen. Manyang told reporters.
He said the NTC has developed an action plan for the second phase of security arrangements, in line with provisions of the 2018 revitalised peace agreement.
“Arrangements are being made to start the training of the forces that will form the final group to join the existing units,” he said.
Under the first phase, some 53,000 soldiers completed training in 2022, but only 4,000 have been deployed so far, and these have not yet been issued firearms. Gen. Manyang indicated that commissioning for the remaining soldiers will take place shortly.
He added that the second phase will last three months, after which the soldiers will be deployed to provide security nationwide during the December 2026 elections.
“They will train for three months and then be fully operational under the president’s command. This is essential to ensure that the elections proceed freely and securely,” Gen. Manyang said.
The National Transitional Committee is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the 2018 peace deal, which revised a 2015 agreement signed by President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar, ending five years of violent conflict marked by ethnic divisions.
The peace deal calls for the integration of rival armed factions into unified forces that will form the foundation of a professional national army. However, the process remains incomplete, partly due to delays in supplying arms to the trained forces.
President Kiir has cited an existing arms embargo as the reason for the delay, though the international community, including the United States, maintains that South Sudan has sufficient firearms to equip the peace forces.
