South Sudan’s government has awarded a major contract worth over $130 million to a private company to support military logistics operations, according to a document seen by Radio Tamazuj.
The document bearing the signature of the country’s first vice president, Taban Deng Gai, said Tonga Investments Ltd has been given firm offers from the ministry of defense to supply food stuffs, assorted army uniforms, boots, vehicles and fuel to the army worth $134,703, 606.7.
The document dated 7 March indicated that the Tonga Investments Ltd had identified Cyproil Trading Ltd based in Uganda as one of the willing and potential financiers with payments expected to be made by lifting of crude oil.
The government, according to the document, invited the executive director of the Cyproil Trading Company in Uganda to come to Juba to finalize the necessary details of the offer.
“The tentative date of this meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday 13 March,” partly reads the document.
The letter was copied to the defense minister Kuol Manyang and oil minister Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth.
Several senior government officials confirmed the document.
A report released by the Sentry group recently described how funds from South Sudan’s state oil company, Nile Petroleum Corporation (Nilepet), helped fund militias and ongoing atrocities in South Sudan.
Last month, the United States stopped the export of weapons and defense services to South Sudan, saying it is appalled by the continuing violence in the youngest nation that has created one of Africa’s worst humanitarian crises.