SPLA spokesperson Colonel Philip Aguer says the army is continuing with plans to withdraw its forces 25 kilometres outside South Sudan’s capital but the process is slow and faces logistical challenges.
The peace agreement signed in August mandates the partial demilitarization of Juba. Negotiators specified at follow-up talks in November that the number of military troops in Juba and National Security Service personnel will be limited to 4,830 only, including 3,420 from the government side and 1,410 from the SPLM-IO side.
A group of Joint Integrated Police will also deployed in Juba with 1,500 from each side for a total of 3,000 joint police.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Monday, Philip Aguer said, “The process is continuing, but slowly because the sites where the military barracks would be built have no water sources. So, the government is now trying to establish barracks and bring drillers in order to dig boreholes.”
However, Aguer confirmed their commitment to implement the demilitarization of the capital per the terms of the signed peace agreement. He indicated that the army leadership has developed a plan to withdraw SPLA Armour Unity outside Juba and that they notified the East African regional bloc IGAD to oversee the process.
The army spokesman pointed out that they are waiting for a response from the IGAD on the matter. In November, SPLA announced the redeployment of over 250 soldiers outside Juba as the first phase in a process of partially demilitarizing the capital Juba.