Defend Constitution, not individuals – military trainees told

By Sheila Ponnie
The joint military trainees at Panyier Training Centre in Jonglei State were told to uphold the values enshrined in the National Constitution and not political personalities.
Addressing unified forces at the training centre in Panyier last week after the visit of Defense Minister Anjelina Teny, Mabior Atem Mabior, Jonglei State Secretary said the role of the military and the police was to protect the national interest rather than individuals.
“As men and women in uniform in the country, your exercise is to defend the constitution of the Republic of South Sudan, nothing more than that, that’s the mission and task,” Atem told the media.
He urged the forces to remain united in order to defend the constitution of the nation as failure to do so would indirectly or directly affect them.
“So your commitment to defend the constitution is paramount, and this is the word I want to tell you the persons in uniform.”
Mabior told the forces that nobody should claim the military because it does not belong to the nation and not to individuals.
“The military does not belong to President Salva Kiir or the first Vice President Riek Machar, the military is for Junubin to defend the constitution and this has to be taken seriously,” he emphasised.
He explained that when the military understands their role and missions then South Sudan as country would not go wrong.
“It is because of the misunderstanding of each and everyone’s role that brought us to where we are today. If we were so innocent then South Sudan wouldn’t have been in its knee,” he said.
Deng Dau, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs encouraged the unified forces to clear the name of South Sudan across the region and beyond.
According to the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict (R-ARCSS) Article 2.2.9 the training of the unified forces of the military, police and other security departments shall start at the beginning of the pre-transitional period according to the requirement of each force or department. Forces shall be trained together to ensure coherence and harmony.
Dau said that Among the African Nations, South Sudanese reputation has been ruined by some individuals who say the military kills citizens and were engages in gross human right abuses.
Dau said one of the military’s missions was to ensure unity among the citizens of the country.
“One of your missions is to be trained as unified forces, respect your uniforms, your guns and to respect the work of the nation and one day am sure you will also be taken to work in other countries, to participate just like other military forces from other countries who are being transferred to work internationally,” Dau said.
However, Dau said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been in a decision so that arms embargo renewed on South Sudan in May this year is lifted.
“How can the military graduate without guns?” he questioned. “They need guns, our country is understanding,” he added.