JDB team screens unified forces in Northern Bahr el Ghazal
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The joint security committee tasked with screening the Unified Forces in Northern Bar el Ghazal began the exercise at the Pantit training camp in Aweil West County.
The SSPDF spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang, who also serves as the team leader of the Joint Defense Board Screening and Reorganisation Team for Northern Bar El Ghazal State, told the City Review on Wednesday.
He said the team briefed Northern Bar El Ghazal State Acting Governor Tong regarding the team’s goal, and that he agreed to cooperate and provide the necessary support to ensure the team completes its duty on time.
He further said that the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) provide the necessary unified forces at Pantit training centre.
“Screening and reorganization was officially launched on Tuesday, December 21st, 2021 by NBGS advisor for security,” said Lul.
He further said that the necessary unified forces at Pantit training centre are drawn from the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the South Sudan Opposition Alliance.
“At the time they gave me the parade they said they were having about 1,500 soldiers and that a good number have returned”. So we made the final call yesterday for those who deserted to keep on coming back because the process will take at least one week and it has started yesterday,’’ he said.
“So I have called to find out how many they registered so far, you know when the screening are done they are registered,” Lul added.
According to the SSPDF spokesperson, screening is a must for the graduation of the 83,000 Necessary Unified forces to be redeployed to take up their new assignment during the transitional period of the 2018 peace accord.
“Of course, if they want to be back by the time the screening is over, they will miss out because we are strictly screening those who are present. One must be physically present because there is medical screening as well,” he noted.
The screening is being done by a joint screening team. Each screening team is having its requirement. For instance, they are having a member of DDR onboard so that when forces who do not qualify to render the services are left out, then there are received by DDR, Lul revealed.
“Then the military has eligibility criteria that must be met. We have also a medical team on the side that will also check the medical fitness of every soldier at the training centre. We are having also a representative from child protection to ensure that the troops that are being screened do not have child soldiers, they are also looking at child soldiers among the security forces,” he further explained the criteria used to screen the forces.
On Monday, the joint security team left Juba for Western Bar El Ghazal to conduct a screening of the region’s unified forces. Lul Ruai stated upon landing in Wau that the exercise would begin on Monday at Masna Birra before the teams moved on to the other training locations in Bar El Ghazal.
“We will launch the process tomorrow (Monday) in the morning at Masna Biira and after the launching, the military team will split into two: one team will travel to Mapel to do reorganisation, screening, and putting the necessary unified forces into their respective military formation,” he explained the process.
