According to Kuol, all forces around the bushes will be brought together once again under phase two and under single command.
In response to the commencement of phase two of unification next month as stated by the government in Juba, the SPLM/A-IO army spokesperson Lam Paul Gabriel issued a Press Release saying that the group has rejected the call for unification of forces.
“The SPLA-IO hereby categorically rejects the so-called phase two of the security arrangements as long as H.E. Riek Machar Teny Dhurgon (PhD), the FVP and Commander in Chief of the SPLA-IO, Lt. Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam and all those illegally and cowardly detained are released to pave way for a genuine dialogue” Lam said in a statement.
He added that The A/g Chief of General Staffs of SPLA-IO Lt. Gen. Peter Thok Chuol read with concern the statement made by the NTC Chairman, Gen. Kuol Manyang Juuk 21/07/2025 regarding commencement of Phase two of the Transitional Security Arrangement.
“It should be noted that the security arrangements have stalled due to the extreme violation and gross atrocities committed by the SSPDF and its allied forces against the SPLA-IO and civilians respectively” he said
The SPLA-IO Force Commander therefore, directs all own forces to disregard this call for phase two by the the NTC and remain vigilant until further directives.
Chapter Two of the R-ARCSS entails security arrangements, government and opposition forces to canton and train unified forces during a three-year transitional period leading into elections.
Under the 2018 peace deal, South Sudan is to graduate 83,000 unified forces drawn from the various parties to take charge of security of the country during the ongoing transitional period.
In 2022 The transitional government of national unity commenced the graduation of necessary unified forces comprising the army, police, national security, and other units that form the national army for South Sudan.
At least 53 thousand soldiers graduated as the first batch of the unified forces.
