JUBA — Two battalions of the Necessary Unified Forces (NUF), comprising 1500 soldiers from Aliel Training Centre in Upper Nile State arrived in Juba on Thursday ahead of their deployment.
This development follows the transitional government’s deployment of a 750-soldier battalion to hotspots, including Tonja in Upper Nile state, a month earlier.
Speaking to Sudans Post at Juba Port following the arrival of the troops, SPLA-IO Spokesperson Colonel Lam Paul Gabriel highlighted that the forces’ arrival signifies progress in implementing Chapter Two of the revitalized peace agreement.
He acknowledged a concern about the soldiers not being paid, emphasizing the need for salaries to support their families.
“The security arrangement is currently going in the right track,” Colonel Lam said.
“The challenge remains that this forces are not being paid, they need some salaries so that they can do something for their families that is a concern which I will always stress,” he added.
Gabriel detailed that one battalion spent the night in Mangala, while the other stayed in Bor before reaching Juba.
“The two battalions that arrived comprise of one thousand five hundred soldiers,” he said.
“They arrived today and yesterday one battalion spent the night in Mangala and the other battalion spend their night in Bor,” he added.
Lam said that despite their arrival, the specific deployment locations remain uncertain, awaiting directives from Chief of Defense Forces Gen. Santino Deng Wol.
The opposition military spokesperson mentioned that the forces would be taken to Luri for where they will be awaiting details of their deployment.
“We are taking them to Luri. As to where they are going to be deployed, I don’t know, but the chief of defense force will organized for that,” he added
