Women leaders welcomed the unification of the arms command deal

Women leaders in South Sudan have welcomed the deal reached by the SPLM-IG, SPLM-IO, and SSOA last weekend to form a command structure for the unified forces.

“The move signifies progress in implementation of the peace agreement,” said one women’s rights activist.

Christine Kide, the national coordinator of the South Sudan Youth Coalition, an umbrella of several groups led by young people that promote peacebuilding that took part in the 2018 peace talks, calls the deal to form the command structure of the unified forces a good first step. 

“The two parties coming down to agree that they should log and sign an agreement, to me that’s a positive sign that we are ready to make this peace (deal) hold and we are ready to see that no matter the challenges, we can still sit down and get to the drawing board and work things out,” Kide told The Insider. 

She believes President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar are trying to give citizens hope that they can implement the peace deal in letter and spirit. 

“They are committing to their statements of “we are not taking this country back to war” I quote. I feel they are committing to their words and trying to gain back the citizen’s trust.”

“It is positive and I wish we continue using that level of engagement towards the implementation or resolving conflicts in our country and our communities respectively,” Kide added. 

Justice Ajonye Perpetua Pàya, Acting Secretary-General and Vice President of South Sudan Law Society, and legal advisor to the South Sudan Women Peace Security Monitoring Group, said the parties should name men and women to the command structure.  

“Whether police, prisons, wildlife, national security services, and the army, the command has to be balanced in inclusive genders. That will be a little bit sustainable. I don’t mean a woman can be picked from anywhere but from these same systems of the different institutions, there are experienced women there already.”   

Paya says the parties must respect the agreement to appoint 35 percent women in all areas of leadership in government including the command structure of the unified forces. 

Paya says this time that the SPLM In Government should lead by example because there are many experienced women in different institutions of the organized forces. 

One women rights activist who prefers to be identified only as Gloria, says the government and opposition’s agreement to form the unified structure of organized forces is the best thing that can happen for citizens. 

“We have been wishing this would happen but finally God has answered our prayers. These forces have not been at peace since, at least there will be unity among the forces.”

“If the government goes ahead with the implementation, we will have no issues saying these are the people from the opposing parties disturbing our community in terms of war and unnecessary killing, there will be no form of blame because they are all working in the same joint force.” 

Under the deal, President Salva Kiir will be Commander in Chief of the armed forces deputized by First Vice President Riek Machar.