The long-awaited graduation of the first batch of the necessary unified forces will begin after the feast of Eid-Al-Adha, the National Transitional Committee (NTC) has assured.

53,000 combined forces of South Sudan Defense Forces (SSPDF), Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) and forces of South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) will take part in the graduation.

These forces were supposed to have been graduated by 2020, but the process was delayed after the government repeatedly decried lack of funds and the arms embargo which it said prevented the acquisition of weapons.

“We have directed all the relevant security committees based on the directives of the president to visit all the training centers,” said Tut Gatluak, Chairperson of NTC. “We can assure you that after the Eid-Al-Adha, we will start graduating all the forces in the training centres.”

Eid-Al-Adha, one of the Muslims’ main festivals will begin on Tuesday July 20, and end on Thursday, July 22.

According toa recent report by the peace monitoring body, CTSAMVM, most of the forces had deserted both training centres and cantonment sites in search of food, clean and safe drinking water and shelters.

The Chapter Two of the revitalised peace agreement provided for registration screening, training and redeploying of 83, 000 necessary unified forces prior to the end of the transitional period, comes 2022.