South Sudan’s Machar submits his nominees for unified army

By Awan Achiek

South Sudan’s former rebel leader Riek Machar has submitted to President Salva Kiir his list of nominees for appointment to the soon to be established unified army command structure.

Puok Both Baluang, Acting Spokesperson for the leader of Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army-In Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) on Friday confirmed submission of a list of 22 nominees to be appointed in various top positions in the army, police, and other security agencies in the country.

“The SPLM/A -IO submitted its list of nominees for the unified command structure to President Salva Kiir as stipulated in the agreement signed by the parties on Sunday,” he said on his official Facebook page.

On 3 April 2022, President Kiir and his deputy Machar reached agreement on the ratios within the unified army command structure charged with superintending over the soon to be graduated 83,000 unified forces.

Kiir’s SPLM-In Government (SPLM-IG) will have 60 percent ratio within the structure and SPLM/A-IO and South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) share 40 percent.