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RADIO TAMAZUJ - 20 Oct 2015

Explaining the S Sudan peace agreement (15): Who must coordinate demobilization?

'Focus on the Agreement' is a new daily segment broadcast on Radio Tamazuj to explain the contents of the peace deal signed in August 2015 between South Sudan's warring parties.

In yesterday's episode we discussed the assembly points for the forces of the warring parties. Today look at how commanders of the two sides will coordinate with each other to ensure enforcement of the ceasefire.

Article 3 of Chapter II of the peace agreement is about the establishment of a mechanism for overseeing and coordinating the demobilization and cantonment of all forces. In other words, the government army and rebel army must create a committee to decide jointly on where to assemble and base their forces after the war.

As mentioned in our previous episode, the forces of the two sides cannot remain in front line positions but must withdraw to camps or bases that are distant from civilian populations.

According to the peace agreement, the government and rebels will create a joint committee of military officers called the Joint Military Ceasefire Commission. Its member will include two deputy chiefs of general staff from each party. This group will be responsible for oversight and coordination of the movement of troops to barracks and assembly points.

This commission may also create joint ceasefire committees in specific geographic areas in order to oversee implementation at the local level.

Later the Joint Military Ceasefire Commission will also oversee the process of unifying the different forces into one National Defence Forces. This is a process that will not happen immediately but will be carried out in several different steps over many months. We will discuss the unification of the forces in later episodes of this series.