Major highway a deathtrap for South Sudan travel

Soldiers of the Sudan People Liberation Army soldiers patrol in Malakal, northern South Sudan, on October 16, 2016. FILE PHOTO | ALBERT GONZALEZ FARRAN | AFP

What you need to know:

  • Isaac Mashete, a driver for Eco-Bus which plies along the Juba-Kampala highway, is always wary of a bullet striking him or others on board as armed groups operate along the road.
  • Persistent robberies and killings along the key transport corridor of South Sudan are driven by the fact that thousands of illegal weapons are in the hands of civilians who impersonate security agencies.
  • On several occasions, some rogue security officers have worked with criminals to carry out robberies

JUBA

South Sudan’s only tarmacked major highway remains a deathtrap for many who endure hours of travel along the potholed road linking the war-torn country to the Ugandan border.

According to Isaac Mashete, a driver for Eco-Bus which plies along the Juba-Kampala highway, he is always wary of a bullet striking him or others on board as armed groups operate along the road.

“The first thing you fear is a bullet. Other accidents are common and whenever they occur, the wreckage on the scene is not carted away and so, more accidents occur,” Mashete told Xinhua on Sunday after going through the tortuous journey to arrive in Juba.

Since the renewed clash in Juba last year, the highway has claimed more than 100 lives, including a shooting at the Ugandan army’s convoy evacuating people fleeing fighting, and the February killing of a top ranking South Sudan army (SPLA) brigadier. These have reinforced public fear and anxiety.

PRESISTENT ROBBERIES

Those who risk the journey have told Xinhua that the persistent robberies and killings along the key transport corridor of South Sudan are driven by the fact that thousands of illegal weapons are in the hands of civilians who impersonate security agencies.

Mashete added that on several occasions, some rogue security officers have worked with criminals to carry out robberies, which he attributes to the prevailing economic hardships in the country that has led to delayed salaries for the SPLA and police officers.

“There are several people with guns and uniforms and it is difficult to distinguish between a government soldier and an impersonator. So, the government should disarm the population,” he said.

Last year, one of their buses was attacked by gunmen who later set it ablaze but Mashete is optimistic that security will improve as this year they have not been attacked.

But, he adds that when the rains start in February, the vegetation along the road will grow and will affect visibility which gun men will take advantage of to stage deadly attacks on travellers.

SPLA spokesman Brigadier Lul Ruai Koang said the gunmen take advantage of the fact that there are few soldiers manning the road. South Sudan relies entirely on the highway to get most goods and services from the East African region.