SSPDF engineering division seeks role in road and bridge rehabilitation
The South Sudan People’s Defence Forces Engineering Division is seeking to participate in the rehabilitation and maintenance of roads and bridges across the country.
The Ministry of Roads and Bridges has pledged to identify projects for the military engineering division following a meeting in Juba on Monday.
SSPDF Engineering Division Commander, Major General Keer Kiir Keer, said the military could contribute to national development beyond its combat responsibilities.
The ministry’s Undersecretary, Engineer James Alam Ohurey, welcomed the initiative and expressed readiness to reactivate an earlier memorandum of understanding between the two institutions.
Under the proposed partnership, the ministry would allocate projects and work sites to the engineering division, establish road maintenance programmes and involve military engineers in specialised and security-sensitive infrastructure works.
Deputy Commander Major General Manhiem Bol Malek also called for the engineering corps to support the rehabilitation and maintenance of roads and bridges in strategic and flood-affected areas, with the involvement of community-based labour programmes.
The proposed cooperation comes as South Sudan continues to face major road infrastructure challenges, with poor road conditions and seasonal flooding disrupting transport, trade and access to essential services.
Major highways, including the Juba-Nimule and Juba-Rumbek roads, remain important routes for moving people and goods. In September, the ministry warned that heavy rains could make sections of the Juba-Rumbek highway impassable.
Former Roads and Bridges Minister Peter Lam Both previously estimated that South Sudan needed about 12,600 kilometres of roads, with only 500 to 600 kilometres paved.
Meanwhile, rehabilitation of the 44-kilometre Magwi-Palotaka feeder road in Eastern Equatoria State is expected to be completed in December 2026. The project aims to improve market access for farming communities and support agricultural production.
The ministry is also pursuing a framework for a Roads Maintenance Fund to provide dedicated financing for road maintenance nationwide.
The proposed partnership with the SSPDF Engineering Division could expand the government’s capacity to rehabilitate and maintain roads, particularly in strategic and flood-affected areas.
