Unified forces at Masna Bira training center in Wau in January 2020 | Credit | Deng Dimo/Eye Radio

The head of the Joint Transitional Security Committee in greater Bahr el ghazal has blamed the United Nations Mission in South Sudan for delaying the transportation of the food and drugs meant for the peace soldiers in the region.

According to Lt. Gen. Garang Ayii Akol, the food was purchased by NPTC for soldiers in the cantonment site where UNMISS offered to transport it to some locations in Bahr el ghazal.

He claimed that the UNMISS is hesitating to transport more than 100 tons of food and drugs from Juba to the training centers and cantonment sites of Mapel, Pandit and Massna Beera in Wau.

This week, one of the government soldiers said that a significant number of soldiers were leaving the Masana Bira training center in Wau due to lack of food.

Gen Akol told Eye Radio this weekend in Juba that it has been three weeks now since UNMISS promised to shoulder the transportation of the food and medicines.

“They [UNMISS] came to us to assist us with six trucks to transport our food and drugs to the training and cantonments sites in Bahr el ghazal. We are not happy with those of UNMISS forces,” said Gen Akol.

“The food and drugs are from our budget and it was supposed to be transported on time, but now this transportation is taken more than two weeks and is now entering into three weeks.”

The head of the Joint Transitional Security Committee stressed that lack of food on cantonment sites can hinder peace.

“This initiative is not good for an international body like the United Nations, and it can hinder peace because peoples need this food.”

This food was bought by NPTC and they told us they will transport it to our sites in Bahr el ghazal, they [UNIMISS] took this food from NPTC stores to their.”

Gen. Ayii urged UNIMSS to return the food to NPTC stores or take it to Bahr el ghazal region.

“Our call to UNMISS is to return this food and drugs to the stores of NPTC, and then we will know that they don’t have any role, or let them take it to the training centers in Wau, Pandit, and Mapel.”

According to the revitalized peace agreement, the Joint Transitional Security Committee is mandated to training, unification and deployment of all forces of police, prisons, wildlife, and national security.

UNMISS is yet to respond to the allegation.