SPLA forcefully recruit civilians into army in Unity state Article Comments (13) Email PrintSave --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Bonifacio Taban Kuich April 13, 2011 (BENTIU) - The local government in South Sudan’s Unity State along with Sudan People Liberation Army (SPLA) division four Command decided to initiate a policy aimed at conscripting state citizens into the army in response to the increasing difficulty in recruitment. On Sunday the state governor addressed a congregation at the Presbyterian Church in Bentiu town to persuade the community to release their young men to join SPLA’s division four, which is based in the state. He called for young men who were unemployed to be trained in the military. He said this would be beneficial as they would be paid and it would prevent them from idle. Governor Taban Deng Gai who recently came back after a week from Khartoum urged the citizen to take part in the recruitment drive. Gai added that know was a good time to join the SPLA as there were funds available for training. The recruitment drive began a week ago. In Leer County police acting on the instruction of the Commissioner, who was in turn following a directive from the Governor of Unity State, have been reported to have forcefully enrolled of young men in Leer Country into the the SPLA. This directive was given one month ago by the governor to the nine counties Commissioner demanding that each Payam [district] Chief should contribute 12 men for service in the SPLA. Local citizen said it is the first time they have seen forced recruitment in Unity state since the signing of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement between Sudan National Congress Party ruling north and South ruling Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) – the political wing of the SPLA. Many of those forcefully recruited have been released following please from family members. It is not clear how when the forced recruitment drive will end. Local people have told Sudan Tribune that believe that the recruitment drive is to counter last months apparent defection by Peter Gatdet Yaka to the Khartoum government. However, Unity state’s government deny that there is link between Gatdet’s defection the recruitment drive. South Sudan is due to become independent in July but has been blighted by internal rebellions since last year’s election, mainly led by disgruntled losers in the election. Gatdet’s forces fought against the SPLA for large parts of the North-South civil war but integrated his forces into the SPLA in 2006 after the SPLA became the official army of the South following the 2005 peace deal. (ST) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "JFD info" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/jfdinfo?hl=en.
