South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Awan Achiek
Citizens of Awerial County have expressed hope of improved trade and security as the Terekeka-Yirol stretch of the Juba-Bahr El Ghazal road is being upgraded to bitumen.
On 21st October, the undersecretary of the ministry of roads and bridges, Peter Kuot Jel announced the start of upgrading the Terekeka –Yirol stretch to bitumen.
The 392-kilometer road is being constructed by Chinese firm Shandong Hi-Speed Ltd Company and Africa Resource Corporation (ARC).
Philip Mawut Garang, Commissioner Awerial County of Lakes State said the tarmac road will bolster security and promote interstate trade.
“The road will bolster trade since we are closer to Juba, the goods coming from Uganda through Juba can reach Awerial County quickly and those with shops along the road will also benefit from travellers who may stop and buy things,” Mawut told The Dawn in Mingkaman town on Saturday.
He said good roads will make it easier for security forces to address insecurity.
Mawut said the road will facilitate movement of sick people in search of better treatment in Juba.
David Akau Kuol, the Bishop of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan Awerial Diocese praised the transitional government for prioritizing road construction to link South Sudanese in all the 10 states.
“We as the church really appreciate the country’s leadership for initialing these development projects and when we have freedom, we know that things will change and development will come,” Bishop Akau said.
For his part, Willy Willy a local trader in Mingkaman town dealing in mobile phone accessories said the upgrading of the road to bitumen standard will make it easy for them to purchase merchandise in Juba.
“This road has brought development to Awerial County, we as traders are very happy because we will be able to reach Juba within 30 or 40 minutes and this will boost trade and we hope this good development will continue,” Willy said.
In 2019, Shandong Hi-Speed started constructing the 63 km Juba-Terekeka stretch which was inaugurated by President Salva Kiir in December 2022.
The construction of the road from Juba, Terekeka, and Yirol to Rumbek was expected to be completed within 36 months but it has taken four years now.
The construction of the road started after President Salva Kiir announced that he had allocated 30,000 barrels of crude oil per day to the Chinese firm to build roads in the country.
It remains unclear whether the crude oil policy for development has been stopped or not.
