The Joint Transitional Security Committee (JTSC) on Friday graduated the first batch of the 1,000 unified military instructors trained on military basics at Mapel military training centre In Wau State.

The training, which commenced on 17 September, brought together officers from both the country’s opposition and the Juba government. The instructors will become trainers of the necessary unified forces in the greater Bahr el Ghazal region.

Lieutenant General Garang Ayii Akol, the head of JTSC for the greater Bahr el Ghazal region, said the instructors were now ready to start training more than 20,000 unified forces within the region.

“Today [Friday] is the graduation of instructors. We gave them theory subjects on confidence and trust building and basic military training. There were command, control and civil military operations,” Akol said.

He further said they also covered moral orientation of forces.

“So far, we have achieved a lot and we give thanks to the administration of Mapel military centre and the SPLM-IO administration for supporting us.  We are very thankful,” Akol said. 

For his part, the SPLA-IO representative at the graduation ceremony, Major General Ohisa Robert said the graduation of the unified instructors marks another milestone in the implementation of the security arrangements.

“Today [Friday] marks another milestone in the implementation of revitalized peace agreement. We are very happy that we reached this far and are now graduating the unified instructors,” Ohisa said.

He further said the training aimed at achieving the unification of instructors and to prepare them mentally and physically for their mandate.