The National Police Service in South Sudan has announced its readiness to receive a police force from the SPLM/A-In Opposition to form a join integrated police in Juba, paving the way for the return of opposition leader Riek Machar to take up his post as first vice president.

Under the terms of a security deal reached last November, the SPLM/A-IO is entitled to send a total of 1,500 police to Juba.

In a press conference on Monday to hand over his responsibilities to a new spokesman, outgoing Police Service Spokesperson Gen. James Monday Enocka said the National Ministry of Interior is ready to receive a police force from the armed opposition in Rajaf area.

"The new thing on the security arrangement is that the Ministry of Interior is ready to receive a police force from the opposition, everything is ready even the place where they will be accommodated in Rajaf," said Enocka.

The senior police officer pointed out that a team from the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) had inspected the site where the opposition police personnel will be accommodated.  

"A team from them together with the monitors went there on Friday, they saw the site there in Rajaf is good, where they will be accommodated and where they will be trained, so we are ready to train them with their colleagues from our side who will work jointly with them," he explained.

Separately, the outgoing police spokesman blamed surging crime in Juba on the economic crisis in the country. He explained that a criminal group last week broke into the General Secretariat of Jubek State where they took an amount of 435,000 South Sudanese pounds.

Enocka noted that police authorities managed to arrest some of the criminals and that investigations are underway.