South Sudan to Demobilise Troops but Fears Violence

April 21, 2008 (JUBA) — South Sudan hopes to begin the long delayed demobilisation of tens of thousands of former rebel fighters in May but many could return to violence without jobs or enough money, a government official said on Monday.

SPLA soldiers smoke cigarettes in a military barrack in Nabanga, near the Sudan-Congo border, Western Equatoria, April 12, 2008. (Reuters) South Sudan’s army — which one U.N. official estimates at about 140,000 strong — is a massive strain on the budget of the semi-autonomous region, struggling to build a nation from the war ruined but mineral rich south.

"To start the process and then get stuck on the way would be a disaster," the south Sudan Demobilisation, Disarmament and Reintegration (DDR) Commission head Arop Moyak Monytoc said.

"Many know no life but behind a gun. To do demobilization without sustainable reintegration...these people will go violent definitely," he said.

Sudan’s north-south war killed some 2 million people and forced another 4 million from their homes before a 2005 peace deal. Under the peace deal the south can vote for independence in 2011.

Soldiers leaving the army will initially get food, household goods and some cash to last six months.

But after that their future is bleak. Jobs are not guaranteed and the United Nations has not agreed to give enough money to help them rejoin society, he added.

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