Funding gaps stall South Sudan’s disarmament, reintegration efforts

JUBA – The Acting National Executive Director of the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) Commission, Wilson Lual Lual, has revealed that a lack of funding is severely undermining the commission’s ability to fulfill its mandate of demobilizing and reintegrating ex-combatants as outlined in the peace agreements.

Speaking to the media, Lual said the commission’s work has stalled due to financial constraints that have left its programs in poor shape.

“All programs and planning are in place, but unfortunately no money has been availed by the government or partners,” he said. “In any DDR exercise worldwide, it is the responsibility of both the nation-state and the international community. But as we speak, the UN Mission in South Sudan has not been given the responsibility or resources by the international community to support DDR programs here.”

Lual noted that the commission’s offices are currently “in a very bad shape” due to the absence of funding.

He also expressed concern for thousands of ex-combatants who are eager to reintegrate into civilian life but remain stranded in training centers.

“The ex-combatants are stuck at the training centers—these are people who voluntarily decided to give up arms. Why keep them there for almost four years? The reason is simple: no money,” he lamented.

According to Lual, the lack of resources has not only delayed reintegration efforts but also fueled insecurity, as many young people remain idle and turn to violence for survival.

“DDR plays a critical role in preventing violence, but this process has stalled. We are now seeing widespread violence across the country, perpetuated by armed youth,” he explained. “We have groups like the Red Belt in Jonglei, Ma-nyung-gi in Eastern Equatoria, the White Army in Jonglei and parts of Upper Nile, Gel-weng in Lakes, Tiit-baai in Abyei, Tiit-weng in Twic, and Arrow Boys in Western Equatoria—all because arms are still in the hands of civilians.”

Lual stressed that meaningful peace and stability require both proper implementation of peace accords and adequate funding for DDR programs.

“The situation of violence must be addressed by engaging youth in productive activities. Disarming them without providing jobs raises serious questions,” he said. “They ask, ‘Why take my gun when my livelihood depends on cattle? How will I protect myself?’ These are million-dollar questions that require proper funding to answer.”

Lual made the remarks as South Sudan joined the rest of the world in observing Disarmament Week, which is currently taking place in New York.

He added that while there have been no recent reports of child soldiers joining armed groups, an incident earlier this year highlighted ongoing challenges.

“About 70 youth arrested in Juba during a crackdown on criminal gangs were taken to Nasir as part of a disciplinary measure. However, they were later brought back to Juba after authorities realized they were too young and unprepared to be exposed to frontline conditions,” he said.

Lual concluded by calling on both the government and international partners to renew their financial commitments to DDR efforts, emphasizing that without proper funding, peace and reintegration will remain elusive.