A senior military officer at a cantonment site in Western Equatoria State says they have not received food and medical supplies since December 2019.

The commander of SPLA-IO in Mundri County revealed that they have lost four soldiers to hunger in a span of two months in 2020.

According to Maj.-Gen. Chance Sismaya Taban, the officers at the Ng’iri cantonment site have been subsisting on handouts from villagers.

“No. We don’t have food and we don’t have medicines since we opened the Ngiri cantonment area,” Maj.-Gen. Sismaya told Eye Radio.

He reported that among those who died from hunger-related illnesses include Lt.-Col. Captain Areki Mori, Capt. Borok Noah, and a Lt.-Col. Samuel.

Maj.-Gen. Sismaya admitted that it has been difficult to manage soldiers at the training camp due to lack of food and other needs.

“We get food from our people, from our relatives….but there were death cases in May and July. We lost four soldiers,” he stressed.

Maj.-Gen. Sismaya mentioned that he has not received feedback from Juba regarding assistance to the training camp.

In early 2020, three senior opposition officers also died at a cantonment site in greater Mundri due to lack of medical supplies.

The ceasefire monitoring body, CTSAM-VM, has reported a lack of logistical support, shelter, water, among others.

The parties to the revitalized peace agreement have not completed the training and deployment of the necessary unified forces before.