The national army recently announced recruitment of 4,000 new personnel, including positions in the riverine forces and the peacekeeping unit this month.

By James Chatim

The South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) has said the training for 4,000 new recruits from the two units of Riverine and Peacekeeping Forces will proceed as scheduled.

Speaking to The City Review on Wednesday, SSPDF Spokesperson Major General Lul Ruai Koang confirmed that the training for the new personnel begins on 24 June 2025.

SSPDF announced the recruitment of 4,000 new personnel, including positions in the riverine forces and the peacekeeping unit this month.

Speaking at a press conference at army headquarters in Juba early this month, the SSPDF spokesperson said that out of the total recruits, 3,000 will be enlisted into the SSPDF’s riverine forces, which are responsible for patrolling and securing the country’s rivers.

The remaining 1,000 recruits will join the SSPDF peacekeeping forces, to participate in international peace missions alongside troops from over 120 countries.

“The office of SSPDF’s spokesperson is proud to announce an open recruitment aimed at filling 3,000 vacancies in the National Army,” Gen. Lul said.

“Applicants must be South Sudanese citizens aged 18 to 35, with a secondary school certificate or equivalent. They must be physically fit, mentally sound, morally upright, with no criminal record, and fluent in Arabic and English, the primary languages used within our military.”

Training for the riverine units will take place in Lelo, Makal County, Upper Nile State, and will last six months. Peacekeeping recruits will undergo similar training at Wunliet west of Juba, Central Equatoria State, for the same duration, SSPDF said.

The recruitment drive is structured to cover all ten states and three administrative areas. For the 3,000 riverine recruits, each state will recruit 240 individuals, while the three administrative areas will recruit 200 each, adding up to 600.

For the 1,000 peacekeeping recruits, each state will enlist 80 personnel, totaling 800, while the three administrative areas will recruit 50 each, with an additional 50 reserved for the Joint Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JVMM) in Juba.

Recruitment will run for two weeks, with reporting and registration taking place at SSPDF divisional, state, and administrative headquarters across South Sudan.

Maj. Gen. Lul emphasized that the army is commitment to building a disciplined and professional force, encouraging the youth to seize this opportunity to serve their nation