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