South Sudan grappling with disarmament challenge

Southern Sudan is facing a major challenge of disarming more than 150,000 soldiers and easing them back to civilian life when it becomes independent next week.
Southern Sudan Disarmament Demobilisation and Reintegration Commission chairman William Deng Deng said the country wants to get rid of excess forces including the elderly, disabled and children.
“These are soldiers seen not be in use after the war. We now need an organized, professional, controllable force,” Mr Deng told the Nation during an interview in Nairobi.
Southern Sudan is set to be Africa’s 53 state on July 7 and change its name to South Sudan.
Under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended 21 years of war between north and southern Sudan, the commission is to plan, manage and implement the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration programmes in southern Sudan.
"The objective of the DDR process is to contribute to creating an enabling environment to human security and to support post-peace-agreement social stabilisation across the Sudan, particularly war affected areas.
Among those to be disarmed, demobilised and reintegrated back to the communities voluntarily are Sudanese People’s Liberation Army and Sudan Armed Forces and 90,000 from each group had been targeted under the CPA..
Appealing for support from donors, Mr Deng said the exercise is crucial and that if does not go well could pose a major security threat to not only southern Sudan but the region as a whole.
“If we cannot control small arms proliferation in southern Sudan it would affect the region. It is something that needs to be addressed if southern Sudan is to be stable and democratic. The neighbouring countries are also vulnerable as they are the easiest places for southern Sudanese to run as refugees,” Mr Deng said.
According to UN figures, there are estimated 2.4 million guns in the hands of individuals who are not in standing army in southern Sudan with a population of about 10 million.Mr Deng said the southern Sudan government is committed to the disarmament, demobilisation reintegration and that it has given the process the necessary support.
Mr Deng said he will soon table a policy to the Cabinet on the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration process and a framework on how it would be done so that the southern Sudan government could remain with about 100,000 armed forces.
The soldiers would first undergo a three months intensive training , then six months of integration and later three months of counselling and training. The exercise is to start in January and handle between10,000 to 30,000 soldiers per year in three transit facilities.
It will take six to eight years to complete the programme, Mr Deng said, adding that majority of those to be affected are the elderly and disabled.
Southern Sudan had until 2017 to re-organise itself and transform its armed forces.
Mr Deng said his commission is facing huge challenges due to the vastness of southern Sudan, poor terrain and small economy.
“The number of soldiers to be transformed to civilian is too big. They cannot be absorbed anywhere as we have no industries and private sector is not developed. We are only relying on subsistence agriculture and oil,” he said and called for creation of industries to avoid those removed from frustration and engaging in acts of lawlessness.
He said the country cannot afford a huge military force and needs to direct little available resources to building of schools and hospitals.
“This is an important programme that needs to be supported by all governments. It looks strange but it is very important. We need to instill to the minds of the soldiers who will be removed that they are being given another assignment and that they could do other businesses as civilians. Some of them have been soldiers for the whole of their life,” he said.
He said the country also needs to downsize and recruit an able and sustainable professional force despite current fears of a return to war due to fighting in Abyei and Southern Kordofan.
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“The security threats are there but to bring an educated, able, professional force we have to downsize and recruit better equipped soldiers,” Mr Deng said.
The country also faces other challenges including demining, corruption and security.
After more than two decades of civil war, Southern Sudan has grappled with a contamination problem of a large scale landmine/Explosives Remnants of War (ERW).
The contamination continues to threaten civilians and impede economic recovery and development.
Contaminated land reduces agricultural activity and productivity and the sustainable livelihoods of rural communities. Southern Sudan has nine other Independent Commissions & Institutions established by the Constitution.
The chairpersons and members of the independent commissions and institutions are appointed by the President of Southern Sudan in consultation with the Vice-President and with the approval of the National Assembly.
They include the Anti Corruption Commission, Audit Chamber, Centre for Census, Statistics and Evaluation, Civil Service Commission, De-Mining Authority, Employees Justice Chamber, Fiscal, Financial Allocation & Monitoring Commission, HIV and Aids Commission, Human Rights Commission, Land Commission and Peace Commission. Others are Public Grievances Chamber, Reconstruction and Development Fund and Southern Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission.

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