PHOTO: Passengers seen here boarding boats at Juba port - Stephen Chot | Eye Radio | October 21, 2021

The South Sudan National Boats Union has appealed to the government to remove illegal checkpoints along the river Nile.

The traders say, early this year they held a meeting with the First Vice-President, Dr. Riek Machar and the Inspector General of Police regarding the matter, but nothing much has been done by the government.

Deng Garang, the secretary General of the Union says the traders along the Nile experience numerous taxes levied on them by illegal borders on the waterway.

They also blame the Government for not fulfilling its promise to remove those illegal checkpoints that still exist within its control areas.

“The boat can start moving from Juba and spend five months on the way to Bentiu or Malakal. Because of the delay on the way, sometimes, the owners of goods would always complain about their goods being delayed and decide to open a case in the court,” the secretary General of the Union said.

“The boat drivers also suffer a lot. They are beaten, intimidated and sometimes some of them lose their lives. We called on the Government whether IO side or Government, they should look into our problem we are facing. We are calling on the IGP to meet us to share our challenge with him.”

Recently, authorities in Upper Nile acknowledged that check-points along the Nile River waters have led to heighten prices of goods in the state.

This is because some government soldiers and unknown groups often stop boat drivers and demand for coronavirus certificates and money before allowing boats to proceed.

The Upper Nile, particularly Malakal, depends entirely on food supplies and other commodities imported from its neighbors through the River Nile.