JUBA – South Sudan’s military has told serving officers seeking to contest the Dec. 22 general elections to resign before pursuing elected office.
Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang, spokesperson for the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), said the military command had approved officers’ participation in the elections on condition that they formally resign from service.
In a statement on Tuesday, Koang said candidates must submit written resignation letters to the assistant chief of defence forces responsible for administration, personnel and finance.
“Upon successful receipt of the resignation letter, the SSPDF command will release you without further unnecessary delays,” he said.
The directive follows a warning by Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Santino Deng Wol against serving military personnel combining their military duties with political ambitions.
“You cannot wear two hats. If you are a military officer, remain committed to the military. If you are a politician, remain committed to politics,” Deng said during a military parade at the SSPDF headquarters in Juba last week.
He said officers seeking positions such as members of parliament, governors and county commissioners should inform military leadership in advance to allow for their release from service.
“Politics should not be mixed with the military,” Deng said.
South Sudan is scheduled to hold general elections on Dec. 22, the first since independence in 2011. The polls have been repeatedly postponed amid delays in implementing the 2018 peace agreement, which ended five years of civil war.
The military has not identified officers planning to contest the elections or disclosed how many have sought release from service.