Day: October 16, 2021

Paul Malong Awan, leader of South Sudan United Front/Army (SSUF/A) on Friday dismissed reports that he had severed ties with his ally Pagan Amum, the leader of the Real SPLM.

Former South Sudan army chief of staff, General Paul Malong Awan speaks at the presidential palace in Juba, November 16, 2017 (ST)Since last year, Malong and Amum have formed a separate faction of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOMA) that negotiating with the South Sudanese government under the auspices of the Sant’Egidio Community.

It was rumoured that the two allies have split as Malong was preparing to rejoin the South Sudanese government.

But the David Deng Chapath, SSUF Secretary of Information denied the accuracy of the reports about this divorce termed it as a “fake propaganda tool intended to discredit his group and their cause”.

He added that social media has enabled “enemies of our struggle to forge such a shameful document to distract us from the course of our struggle, cause confusion between us (…)”

Chapath reiterated their determination to pursue the Sant’Egidio mediated peace talks with the government.

Source: Sudan Tribune

The alternate chairman of the Joint Higher Military Committee revealed an agreement to train 4,000 combatants from the signatories of the Juba Peace Agreement to maintain security in the Darfur region.

The Joint Higher Military Committee, which oversees the implementation of the security arrangements, is composed of military leaders, representatives of the United Nations, the African Union, South Sudan, Chad and the Commissioner of the DDR.

“The Military Committee directed the Permanent Ceasefire Committee to make arrangements for preparing the camps and receiving combatants within weeks,” Suleiman Sandal told the Sudan Tribune on Thursday.

Sandel pointed out that the committee decided to train 4,000 fighters in two camps in Nyala of the South Darfur state, and El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur before integrating them into the joint forces.

He added that each signatory group would dispatch 800 of its fighters to the training sites.

The Sudanese parties to the Juba Peace Agreement have agreed to form a 12000-strong force. The government would provide half while the signatory groups provide the other half.

Previously they agreed to increase the joint force to 20000 troops but logistical obstacles prevented it.

Sandel expected that the training of the 4000 troops would continue for about 4-5 months.

The Juba Peace Agreement was signed on 21 October 2020. The government explained the slow pace of the implementation process by the lack of money.

Source: Sudan Tribune