A church leader says some SPLA soldiers are preventing residents of Lainya County, Yei River State, from taking food to their villages, an accusation the army denied.

Most of the town residents fled their homes due to insecurity in recent months.

The Bishop of the Lainya Diocese of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan says some SPLA soldiers don’t allow them to take the food because they want the residents to return to their homes.

Bishop Eliaba Laku told Eye Radio that people are not returning home because of fear of more insecurity.

“Most of them are traumatized. They don’t seem like going back home,” Bishop Laku said.

For his part, the SPLA spokesperson, Brigadier Lul Ruai Koang, says he would comment on the matter only after communicating with the military officers in the area.

“I’m not aware about those accusations; I have to check the authenticity of these complaints,” Brig Ruai told Eye Radio.

Bishop Eliaba visited Lainya last week. He says people only go to their farms to collect food. Only a few youth are in the church compound.