Angelina Teny, SPLM-IO team leader in Juba meeting with President Salva Kiir at J1 in December 2018. Photo: Presidential Press Unit

A senior member of the SPLM-IO is arguing the current government to allocate oil money to fund the immediate cantonment of forces as the deadline for forming the ReTGoNU is fast approaching.

According to the timeline of the peace agreement, the main provisions of the security sector arrangements should be completed before May 2019. This include; cantonment of forces and establishment of an independent boundaries commission, among others.

It would require the training and redeployment of the necessary unified forces and “shall be completed within a period that shall not exceed eight months.

The pre-transitional period is also supposed to start on the completion of the redeployment of the necessary unified forces, or on the expiry of eight months

During this time, all collected weaponry from rebels will be disposed off as agreed by a joint board of the security agencies. But selected personnel of police and military will continue to be trained -to provide joint protection to the VIPs.

But Angelina Teny says the implementation of most of the provisions has been slowed down partly because of unsustained political will and lack of funds.

Madam Teny, chairs the Strategic Defense and Security Review Board – which is handling the security sector transformation and policy development to expedite the process of cantonment of forces as enshrined in the peace accord.

She said there are concerns that the “new government” made up of; the current government, SPLM-IO, FDs, South Sudan Opposition Alliance, and other partners, may not be set up as scheduled.

Dr. Riek Machar is expected to return to Juba in May to help in the formation of the revitalized government of National Unity. Other political leaders have already returned to Juba since September last year.

Before that can happen, the agreement requires the demilitarization of Juba, and other state capitals, and declare cantonment of forces belonging to all parties in areas away from the civilian population. Some little progress has been reported in former Unity State, and Eastern Equatoria.

But Madam Angela told Eye Radio that the government needs to do more to allocate money from the oil revenue to fund the implementation of the peace deal.

“As per the agreement, the cantonment of forces was supposed to be completed within 45 days, which means almost towards the end of October of last year. We should have completed the cantonment, it did not happen,” she lamented.

Angelina proposed the allocation of at least 10,000 barrels per day to support the reorganization of the forces.

“It has become very apparent that by May 12th, when R-TGoNU is supposed to be established, that deadline is going to be missed,” she added.

The R-ARCSS says in  36 months, from September 2018, South Sudan should have completed unifying the army and police after which they will be deployed across the country, as deemed necessary by the Strategic Defence and Security Review Board, which Angelina Teny heads.