Truckers resume cargo transport as Juba commits to provide security
Tuesday September 07 2021
Truck drivers from East Africa have agreed to end their two-week strike and resume transportation of cargo into South Sudan after authorities agreed to provide armed escorts. PHOTO | FILE | NMG
Truck drivers at Elegu on the border of Uganda and South Sudan have agreed to end their two-week strike and resume transportation of cargo into South Sudan after authorities agreed to provide armed escorts.
Truckers were protesting against insecurity and a spate of attacks on highways in South Sudan.
Byron Kinene, the chairman of the Regional Lorry Drivers and Transporters Association, said South Sudan agreed to some of their demands, including having officers from the National Police and South Sudan Peoples Defence Force provide security for drivers on the highways.
However, the Kenya Transporters Association said they are yet to lift the advisory for their members as the route was still unsafe.
South Sudanese players sought to ensure resumption of transport, saying the drivers' demands have now been met.
“The efforts to resolve the drivers’ grievances have been reached by a team led by deputy Commissioner General of the National Revenue Authority and the Commissioner of Customs-Division,” South Sudan Clearing Agents and Freight Forwarders Association (SSCAFFA) said in a statement seen by The EastAfrican on Tuesday.
“Therefore, all clearing agents are requested to start work immediately as soon as they receive papers. And those dealing with fuel consignment are directed to undertake the procession immediately.”
The association asked the drivers to adhere to arranged parking destinations to avoid overcrowding and hasten clearance of goods.
South Sudan however remained unclear whether the bushes near security hot spots where most attacks are carried out along Nimule-Juba highway will be burnt down or slashed.
South Sudan has also remained silence on the option of deploying a neutral force to monitor and ensure security on all Southern Sudan highways as earlier demanded by drivers.
“The government committed to provide security and safety to truck drivers along Nimule-Juba road,” states a September 6, 2021 Note Verbale from the South Sudan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation sent to the Ugandan Embassy in Juba.
The note, seen by The EastAfrican, also assured drivers that all obstacles causing delays on the Nimule-Juba will be removed.
The striking drivers had pitched camp at Elegu, protesting against attacks, kidnappings and looting of their cargo by armed militia on South Sudan highways.
A clearing agent at Elegu, Uganda’s northern border with South Sudan, told The EastAfrican that trucks have started crossing to South Sudan.
The strike led to the cutting off of supplies to South Sudan as Elegu is the major entry point for goods from Kenya’s Mombasa and Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam ports.
- Additional reporting by Anthony Kitimo.