The military equipment were purchased at $14.5 million with the approval of the parliament. However, the arms purchase comes amidst peace talks between the government and the rebels. “It is our right; right of the government of South Sudan to arm its army. Otherwise, they would not be called an army if they are not armed.”The minister said the purchase of arms will not affect the peace talks in Addis Ababa. They include automatic rifles, grenade launchers, bullets for automatic rifles, rounds of pistol ammunition, machine guns, pistols, rounds of 40-millimeter anti-personnel grenades and rounds of 40-millimeter “heat rockets”.