Gatluak tells parties to comply with unification command deadline
The chairperson of the National Transitional Committee (NTC) has urged parties to the agreement to submit the list of their nominees to finish the process of formation and unification of the army command.
Tut Gatluak Manime made the call on Thursday during a briefing of the heads of security mechanisms and peace monitors on the army’s command structure in Juba. This was on the official timetable for the graduation of the necessary unified forces.
He stated that upon the formation of the unified command of the army, they would go to the training centres to finalise the graduation process of the unified forces. The visit would be to prepare the ground for training the second batch of the necessary unified forces to lessen the chances of those who want to spoil the agreement.
“I urged the peace partners to sit with their leaders to come up with their list of command structures of the army as soon as possible to stop rumours being circulated by peace spoilers. After we finish the formation of the unified command, we are going to visit the training centres to prepare the unified forces for graduation,” he said.
Tut lauded Sudan for helping the parties reach a deal on the unification of the command of the army that was signed last weekend. He pointed out that peace in South Sudan means peace in Sudan.
Urged to comply
The minister of mining and a senior Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (OPP) also urged military officers to the various security mechanisms tasked with overseeing the implementation of security arrangements to commit to what the parties agreed on last weekend.
Martin Abacha, who signed the agreement on the unification of commands of the army on behalf of SPLM-IO, stressed that parties should commit to the agreement.
He stated that the lack of implementation of the agreement and the report would be blamed on the heads of the security mechanisms, who are responsible for reporting the implementation of the security arrangements to the presidency.
“As I am speaking here as a member of the CTSAM-VM, our role is to report that if we do not implement what we said on Sunday, we shall report that we have failed. This is very important, and this is not good for all of us. If we say we are going to do A, we must do A. If we said we are going to do B, we must be,” he stressed.
He emphasised the importance of implementing the agreement in letter and spirit to achieve a result that would address the country’s security problems, stating that: “we need to prove to ourselves that we are different from what we said before.”
“So as implementing institutions, for us, our role is to report, so by Sunday, the chairperson of the national transitional committee, you have a responsibility. You have seven days from the date of the agreement to implement it, meaning you have failed, “he told the heads of the security mechanisms.
“We need to be committed. South Sudan needs peace. The South Sudanese people all want us to implement this peace. A week ago, people wanted to feel the country, but we should not let people flee the country. Let’s do what we say. Let us do what is required of us so that this country moves forward. “
He urged that parties should continue with the same spirit of last weekend’s agreement on the unification of the army command, noting that it is a good beginning and the first step in implementing the agreement.
Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Charles Gituai, the reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC) chairperson, urged the heads of the security mechanisms to focus on unification to ensure the agreement’s success.
“My brothers, the generals, this is very important for this country, and as you know, you cannot move forward without unified forces. “This is the most important thing, “Gituai emphasised to the army.
He added: “If chapter two succeeds, everything else will fall into place. The future of this country really depends on the success of chapter two because if we have a unified force under one commander in chief, one CDF, and a military that is loyal to the constitution of the Republic and to the country, not individuals, it will not matter whoever becomes the leader of the country.
”The military focuses on the loyalty of the constitution and the country, and, of course, to the commander in chief of the day,” the peace monitor further articulated on the importance of having a unified force.
