South Sudan imports food items for peace forces from Uganda

JUBA, January 17, 2024 — The transitional government of South Sudan has commenced the distribution of food supplies to cantonment and training sites, as well as areas where the graduated unified forces are stationed.

The announcement follows the arrival of 13 trucks carrying a total of 800 sacks of beans, 200 sacks of salt, 200 sacks of sugar, 4,000 sacks of maize flour, and 200 jerry cans of oil (equivalent to 250 tons) in the capital city of Juba during the morning hours.

Speaking to journalists following inspection of the food consignment in Juba on Tuesday, minister of peacebuilding Stephen Par Kuol revealed the distribution plans during an inspection of the food consignments.

Kuol who also serves as the secretary for the National Transitional Committee explained that the emergency food supplies would be delivered to cantonment sites, unified forces units, and JMCC cantonment camps.

“We are coming to launch the distribution of food supply; this is emergency food, and it is 13 trucks with a tonnage of 250 metric tonnes. The destinations are cantonment camps, unified forces units, and JMCC cantonment camps,” Kuol stated.

According to him, the emergency food is intended to lay the groundwork for the second phase of training for the unified forces. He emphasized that the timing of the second phase depends on the availability of resources.

“The Revitalized Government of National Unity is working on it, and that is why we have these trucks and you have seen the deployment of forces,” he said. “The first phase has ended, and we are now entering into phase two.”

The Joint Military Ceasefire Commission (JMCC) has established 17 cantonment sites to accommodate the second batch of opposition unified forces.