South Sudan opposition forces to canton in Leer County
South Sudan’s opposition the SPLA-in opposition (SPLA-IO) has been granted cantonment site in Rubkong area located in Leer County after having been displaced in Mirmir cantonment site.
“We have officially established a new cantonment site in Rubkong south of Leer County next to Mom military training center, this is our new assembly point to assemble our comrades and our soldiers,” Maj. Gen Gatgok Khor Riaka, the SPLA-IO division four B commander told the Juba Echo on Friday.
He said they will not move an inch from Rubkong as they prepare to enter training camps for the second phase of unified forces.
“The reason why we have formed this Rubkong cantonment site was to assemble our soldiers in one point to allow freedom of movement and safety of civilians, our mandate as SPLA-IO is to protect civilians,” Khor said.
He said their presence in Rubkong will allow civilians to move freely from Adok Port to Leer town.
The SPLA-IO a former rebel movement led by first vice president Riek Machar was expelled from Mirmir cantonment site by the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces and allied militias.
Under the 2018 revitalized peace agreement, South Sudan’s political parties are supposed to graduate a total of 83,000 unified forces made up of police, army, wildlife, and prisons and intelligence.
In August 2022, the transitional unity government passed out the first batch of unified forces estimated to be about 53,000. These forces are still awaiting deployment to their respective areas of operation.
