The South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) has dismissed a statement widely circulating on social media platforms that their leadership signed a deal with a private company to purchase military vehicles.
The response came barely hours after Dynamic Defense Solutions FZE announced on their social media platform that they had secured a deal to supply military vehicles to the South Sudan Army.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday, SSPDF Spokesman Maj Gen Lul Ruai Koang said that while a team from the company met the Army officials at Bilpam GHQs, there was no deal because signing of a procurement deal is not the jurisdiction of the Army.
He noted that Dynamic Defense Solutions FZE claim that it had signed a deal with SSPDF was a mere publicity stunt.
“What happened was that officials from the company met our Army’s director-general for procurement, the assistant chief of logistic, and director for maintenance. The officials from the company outlined their capability in terms of the services they were able to offer. No deal was reached,” he stated.
“For one to reach a deal, you must have an MoU, and then a contract follows with all specifications. In terms of purchasing military equipment, it is beyond the directorate of military procurement, it is categorized as classified or strategic and therefore done at another level.
“Finally, everyone is aware that SSPDF have been under an arms embargo, and we cannot engage in contracts because it would be a violation of the UN embargo,” he explained.
Koang said they concluded that the company officials were excited upon meeting the SSPDF team, reiterating that there was no deal to supply the military. Radio Tamazuj could not immediately get Dynamic Defense Solutions FZE for a comment.