The Deputy Chief of Staff in the South Sudan Army (SPLA), Paulino Matip, died Tuesday night after suffering a long illness. He was waiting in Nairobi to travel to the United States of America for medical treatment, but he passed away before leaving Kenya.

Matip was a controversial figure, he has fought for years against South Sudan’s ruling party, and then joined the South Sudan Army about a year after the signing of the North-South Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005. 

Martin Machot Deng, commissioner of Mayom County in Unity State, hometown of Paulino Matip, speaking to Radio Tamazuj confirmed that the deceased died outside the country and not in his hometown. He said that he was on his way to consolation of the late’s family in Mayom County.

Deng confirmed the death, adding that the deceased was suffering from sickness but he gave no further details.

Photo by SPLM: Paulino Matip (left) and Nhial Deng (right).