South Sudan passes SPLA Bill, 2008

October 15, 2008 (JUBA) – The Government of Southern Sudan’s cabinet on Wednesday passed the ‘Sudan People’s Liberation Army Bill, 2008’, which spells out the constitution, mission, structures, and exercise of power, functions and duties of the Army.

It is the Army’s first Bill since the establishment of the Government of Southern Sudan in 2005 and will be tabled before the parliament for final enactment into law.

The Bill was drafted in accordance with the provisions of Articles 158, 159, 160 and 161 of the Interim Constitution of Southern Sudan which grants authority to the Government of Southern Sudan to enact legislation to provide for the establishment, governance and discipline of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA).

It was presented by the Minister of Legal Affairs and Constitutional Development, Michael Makuei Lueth, and passed after thorough discussions and amendments by the Council of Ministers chaired by the Vice President, Riek Machar Teny.

Shortly after the cabinet passed the Bill, Minister of Information and Broadcasting and official Spokesperson of the Government, Gabriel Changson Chang told the press that the Bill made it clear that the SPLA is a non-partisan army in Southern Sudan.

The Constitution states that “the SPLA shall be a regular, professional, patriotic, productive, disciplined, non-partisan military force subordinate to civilian authority as established under the Interim Constitution of Southern Sudan, 2005.”

“The mission of the SPLA is to protect the people and territorial integrity of Southern Sudan,” the Bill states.

The Bill has separated the SPLA as a Southern Sudan army from the SPLM as a political party, and that it is under the command of the President of the Government of Southern Sudan and Commander-in-Chief, but not under the SPLM Chairperson.

It states that the SPLA shall be organized into active and reserve forces and the active forces shall consist of the Ground Force, Air Force and Riverine Units.