South Sudan receives food supplies from Turkey

By Benjamin Takpiny

JUBA, South Sudan (AA) - South Sudan received food supplies Thursday from the Turkish government to be distributed to soldiers at training centers that have experienced food shortages.

South Sudan’s Presidential Advisor on Security Affairs Tut Gatluak, who received the food supplies on behalf of the government, appreciated Turkey’s support for the implementation of peace in the country by providing the foodstuffs.

While handing over the food supplies to the government, Turkish Ambassador to South Sudan Erdem Mutaf affirmed Turkey’s full support for the peace process in the country.

“Turkey’s donation of around 11 metric tons of foodstuffs to cantonment sites which I am handing over to the Honorable Tut Gatluak today is another strong sign of our support in this respect,” Mutaf said during the handover of the food supplies in the capital Juba.

He said he will carry on with his visits to all the relevant authorities in Juba to further diversify and deepen their bilateral relations.

“Having exemplary relations and good cooperation with the South Sudanese government, Turkey as a close friend will try its best to continue contributing to this process of peace in South Sudan” he said.

Since 2019, soldiers have been reportedly deserting cantonment sites due to poor living conditions, including a lack of food, medicine, safe drinking water and shelter.

According to a 2018 revitalized peace deal, the nation is supposed to train and graduate a unified force of 83,000 personnel to take charge of security during the transitional period until 2023, when elections will be held.

The unification of the army has been delayed amid missed deadlines.

The process has also been hampered by economic hardship in the country which has left the government with limited resources caused by more than six years of conflict that broke out in December 2013.