Members of the VIP Protection Unit at Rajaf Police Training Center on April 26, 2019 | Joakino Francis/Eye Radio

Soldiers at the training center in Rajaf near Juba say they are being neglected by parties to the revitalized peace agreement.

According to trainees, they only eat beans without oil or onion. Others say their health condition is deteriorating.

Those at Rajaf center, are part of the Necessary Unified Forces enshrined in the peace agreement.

The training of the NUF started early this year across all training centers in the country.

There is a delay in passing out the forces that have been trained, a situation the army spokesperson has attributed to financial constraints.

In February, instructors at Rajaf Unified Police Training Centre said two trainees died while at least 200 others report to a military clinic daily due to poor living conditions.

Those who are stuck at the Rajaf training center says life is becoming unbearable.

One of the trainees who prefers anonymity told Eye Radio that many of his colleagues have deserted the training center due to the poor living conditions.

“In January, we were 7,000. But now we are less than 4,000,” said James K (not real name).

“Some of our colleagues have already left the training camp and went back to their homes in different states.”

Early this month, representatives of peace parties to the ceasefire monitoring body expressed concerns over the increasing deaths of soldiers at the training center.

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A civil society activist also warned that the security arrangement was likely to collapse due to poor living conditions of the forces at the training camps.

Rajab Mohandis expressed grave concerns over soldiers abandoning the training camps with guns.

He said this would jeopardize public security and the stability of the revitalized peace deal.