A South Sudanese rights group has called on President Salva Kiir to end his government's weeks-long blockade of humanitarian aid to civilians in Upper Nile state.

Edmund Yakani, executive director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, said his group is highly concerned and disturbed by recent reports coming from several officials that the civilian population may risk starvation after river transport was closed by the government.

“If there is any security concern associated with the river transport for the government, let the government design another approach to deal with it without compromising with the normal flow of the humanitarian access to Upper Nile state,” Yakani said.

“I believe the president acknowledges the need to protect the civilian populations from any form of risk to their lives, but now stopping the river transport which is the only means of supplying food to Upper Nile state is a great challenge and it raise concerns to the protection of the lives of the civilians from risk of starvation," he said.

Aid agencies have said that there are tens of thousands of civilians in the state who need humanitarian assistance including food and medicine.

Kiir's Chief of General Staff Paul Malong ordered a blockade of humanitarian aid to rebel-held areas, including by preventing food barges from travelling between Juba and Malakal via the White Nile, Radio Tamazuj has earlier reported. Flights to Upper Nile state have also been restricted.

The order to close the river to food aid came about a week after Kiir said in a public speech in Juba on 9 July that he had heard complaints from humanitarians that they were not able to access civilians. At the time, he said restrictions on aid must stop.

Public comment on peace proposal

Separately, Yakani said CEPO launched a manual for sensitizing the public across the country on the IGAD-Plus proposed compromised peace accord for South Sudan and will release its findings on Tuesday to the public.

The activist said CEPO in collaboration with the Center for Peace and Development Studies at the University of Juba will hand over public opinions gathered on the proposal to the negotiating parties, IGAD, the African Union, the United Nations, and other countries involved in the peace process including the US, UK, and Britain.

Radio Tamazuj Photo: President Salva Kiir with his Chief of General Staff Paul Malong

Related:

Gen. Malong orders food deliveries blocked (1 Aug.)

Humanitarians demand access to Upper Nile as children face starvation (23 Jul.)

South Sudan govt shuts down Nile food barges as civilian hunger increases (21 Jul.)