The South Sudan National Police Service (SSNPS) recently started preparations for the formation of a Joint Integrated Police (JIP) Unit that will handle security during the transition period.

Speaking to Radio Miraya, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pieng Deng Koul said a Police Development Committee was held on 15 November to strategize on how the unit will be established.

A peace agreement signed in August specified that the JIP Unit will comprise of 5,400 police personnel, with equal numbers provided by the government and the opposition. 

Gen.  Koul said the combined unit will secure Juba and towns worst hit by the conflict. 

“The major responsibility is the security of Juba, (the Jonglei State capital) Bor, (the Upper Nile State capital) Malakal and (the Unity State capital) Bentiu,” he said. “We want them to secure these areas because these are the areas where there is mistrust from our civilians and this is why we want it to have a national character.”

The IGP stressed that the JIP Unit will be composed of personnel from all ethnicities and also have gender balance, “so that all – even females – feel secure in Juba when they see their own female police in the patrols and in other arrangements”.

A working group comprising development partners, UNMISS and civil society organizations has been formed to prepare for the formation of the JIP.

According to UN Police Commissioner Fred Yiga, UNMISS will play role in building the capacity of the JIP Unit.

“The UN Mission in South Sudan and UN Police in particular will support the institutional development of this important unit, the JIP,” he said. “The UN police will work very closely with the Inspector General of Police and make sure that the JIP takes off in a professional way and as guided by the peace process.”