South Sudan rebels have demanded withdrawal of SPLA troops and other regular forces including National Security Service 25 kilometres outside South Sudan’s capital Juba.
SPLA-IO Military Spokesman William Gatkuoth Deng told Radio Tamazuj that the peace agreement signed in August talks about the withdrawal of all organized forces.
He said Kiir’s government rejected the withdrawal of police, prison, and national security services during the ceasefire workshop held in Addis Ababa.
“If the government is still rejecting the demilitarization of Juba, then we will also take our forces to Juba. During the workshop, we rejected the idea of still keeping regular forces in Juba,” he said.
Deng accused the Juba government of trying to renege on security arrangements, saying they informed the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on the matter.
For his part, South Sudan’s Presidential Press Secretary Ateny Wek objected to the demand by the rebels to withdraw the National Security, Police, Prison and Wildlife Services outside Juba.
Ateny told Radio Tamazuj that the demand by the rebels for the withdrawal of the other security forces and disarmament of the presidential guard is subjective.
The presidential spokesman stressed that such a demand was not even stipulated in the signed peace agreement, describing it as “incapacitating conditions.”
“The comment of the government is that the national security and intelligence service was not part of the agreement,” he said. “All the stipulations did not mention something about it, so the demand by the rebel is rejected.”
The presidential press secretary said the national security service cannot be moved outside the capital Juba. “Even those who made the agreement know very well that the national security and intelligence service cannot be withdrawn,” Ateny explained.