WFP trucks convoy carrying food aid. (Photo: UN video capture).

The culprits involved in the attack on a convoy of the World Food Program in Jonglei State on March 17, have been arrested, the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said.

Deng Dau Deng revealed the arrest at a joint press briefing about the humanitarian situation in the country on Saturday, April 1, 2023.

Two weeks ago, the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said a convoy of 100 trucks transporting food and other humanitarian assistance came under gunfire along the Gadiang-Yuai road.

The incident prompted WFP to temporarily pause its convoy movement out of Bor town Jonglei state.

Deng Dau said the criminals were arrested by the Police and will be held accountable for their atrocity.

“On the issue of the humanitarian, we want to thank the police service, they have caught those who have actually interfered with the 80-meter tone of food that was supposed to be traveling between Jonglei headquarters to greater Pibor, and they captured and caught these criminals”.

However, the government official didn’t disclose the names, numbers, and where they were arrested.

When contacted to give out the missing information, Police Spokesperson Major General Daniel Justin said he is yet to confirm the information.

South Sudan is one the most dangerous places for aid workers, with nine humanitarian workers killed in the line of duty and 418 incidents reported in 2022.

On his part, government spokesperson Michael Makuei said the attack on the humanitarian organization is due to what he terms as negligence by UN agencies.

Micheal Makuei said the humanitarian agencies should not hold the government responsible because they have been refusing government security escorts.

“The attack on humanitarian workers is partly negligence of the UN agencies. We have been asking to give them escorts, but they have been refusing,” he said.

“And when they are attacked by people who have decided to be in the forests of South Sudan, then they come and complain and hold the government responsible”.

According to OHCA, more than one million people in Jonglei and Pibor rely on the humanitarian food assistance that humanitarian community transport along the highly insecure Gadiang highway.

In 2023, an estimated 9.4 million people in South Sudan were projected to need humanitarian assistance or protection service.