Meetings between the South Sudanese government and rebels over implementation of the security arrangements including plans for eventually reunifying the forces of the two sides are ongoing but without any breakthrough so far.

SPLA-IO Military Spokesman Col. William Gatjiath Deng told Radio Tamazuj from Addis Ababa that that the views of the two parties are still far apart. He further said the government insists that about 6,000 organized forces should remain inside the capital Juba in order to protect government institutions and others as Presidential Guard while the armed opposition refuses that.

The peace agreement signed in August mandated the demilitarization of Juba with a few key exceptions including the presidential guards, but did not specify the number of troops allowed to remain in Juba.

Gatjiath pointed out that the two parties are conducting separate consultations with the IGAD mediators, while hinting at the impossibility of reaching an agreement as both parties are sticking to their positions. The rebel spokesman accused the government of being reluctant to implement the signed peace agreement to resolve the conflict in South Sudan.

In a statement on Wednesday, the IGAD chief mediator, Seyoum Mesfin, said South Sudan's government delegation and rebels meeting currently in Addis Ababa will plan together the creation of a shared unified command and unification of their forces, besides also working to establish the ceasefire coordination mechanisms.

The meeting was scheduled from 21-26 October in Addis Ababa in an attempt to agree on points focusing specifically on transitional security arrangements.

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