Aweil County Commissioners donate supplies to SSPDF battalions facing food shortages

AWEIL – Commissioners from Aweil North and East counties in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state have visited frontline army positions and donated food supplies to soldiers reportedly facing hunger.

Kiir Chan Wol, commissioner of Aweil North, travelled to Brigade 9 in Jorboich, near the border with Sudan, on Saturday.

A statement from his press secretary said he delivered “bags of flour, sugar and other kinds of assortments” to the soldiers with support from state authorities.

“These food items will ease the severity of the conditions that the soldiers are facing,” the statement said.

“They are struggling in defending the nation at the frontline and that is why the commissioner thought it wise to make a visit and share notes and issues centering around the border concerns,” it added.

Local social media accounts posted dances performed during the handover of the supplies. Similar visits were made earlier last week by Diing Aheer Ngong, commissioner of Aweil East, to border brigades in Warguet, Yith-Pabol, and Majok-Yithiou.

Sources claim some donations originated from “high echelons or those connected with those in power” in the capital Juba.

These suggestions come amid unconfirmed allegations of soldiers deserting the South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF) due to worsening conditions.

The visits by the county commissioners and the distribution of supplies highlight the logistical challenges faced by the SSPDF. The extent of food shortages and desertions within the army remains unclear.