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YEI - 28 Mar 2021

Central Equatoria, Uganda border trade resumes despite bad roads

Cross-border trade between South Sudan’s Central Equatoria State and Uganda has resumed despite poor roads along the border corridors of Kaya, Kajo-Keji, and Yei towns after the formation of the unity government.

Yei-Kaya road is one of the international supply routes to and from South Sudan and became impassable due to the prolonged conflict and state of disrepair. 

Anthony Gaga, a businessman in Kaya, told Radio Tamazuj last week that the Oraba-Kaya border road is operational and open for traders bringing goods from Uganda and vice versa.

“Yes, business along this corridor has resumed. Big trucks and cars have started moving along this road and traders can import their goods and do clearance in Kaya,” Anthony Gaga said. “Business has started well but the biggest challenge is that once heavy rains start, we cannot bring goods from Uganda. Another big thing killing the traders here is the issue of the exchange rate from SSP to Ugandan shillings or dollars.”

He said that although trade has resumed along the Kaya-Oraba (South Sudan-Uganda) border corridor, poor road conditions, inflation, and the exchange rate remain a big challenge for local traders in South Sudan.

James Rudo, another trader in Kajo-Keji, said travel between Moyo-Jale border points into Kajo-Keji town resumed after the formation of the state and local government structures but complained of poor road conditions affecting business operations in the area.

“The roads are open and trucks are also coming from Uganda through Moyo into Kajo-Keji town and traders here are getting goods like soda, bottled water, flour, eggs, powdered milk, etc coming right now but more are also coming from Juba but the road connecting Kajo-Keji is completely bad,” Rudo said.

Edward Luba, a trader and the chairperson of the Yei chamber of commerce, confirmed that goods have started reaching Yei through the Oraba-Kaya road and hoped that once the road connecting South Sudan to Uganda is permanently constructed, it will reduce prices of goods and services in the market.

“At the moment, trucks are reaching Yei so easily. There is no heavy rain downpour and we are calling on the Government to rehabilitate or tarmac the Yei-Kaya road so that goods can reach Yei and other parts of the country and this will also reduce market prices,” Luba said.

He wondered why the government had not tarmacked the Yei-Kaya road since it was the lifeline for South Sudan’s liberation struggle.

John Benson Yoana, the Yei municipal chief executive officer confirmed that trucks and small cars have resumed operations through the Yei-Kaya road. 

“It is true that there are goods which include food and non-food items coming from Uganda. Since most of our demands come from Uganda, I think this is a good move for the government to raise revenue and deliver services to its citizens,” Yoana said.

Recently, the Central Equatoria State governor, Emmanuel Adil Anthony, urged his cabinet ministers to work hard and deliver services to the citizens, including improved roads to ease movement and transportation of goods and services in all the six counties of the state.

Four years ago, trade activities along the two borders ground to a halt as a result of the conflict.