SSPDF CDF orders for dismantling of illegal River Nile checkpoints
According to the army chief, the operation is aimed at increasing trade volumes and widening the scope of commercial activities and permanently eliminating unnecessary and unauthorized taxes or levies
By The City Review
Chief of defense forces of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF), Gen. Paul Nang Majok, has ordered the immediate removal of all illegal checkpoints along the River Nile.
In a statement released on Friday, Gen. Nang ordered Lt. Gen. Theyip Gatluak, Commander for Ground Forces and Lt. Gen. Johnson Olony Thabo, Assistant Chief of Defense Forces for Mobilization and Disarmament, to immediately commence removal of illegal checkpoints along and on the Nile River.
“The removal exercise starts from Juba, Juba County, Central Equatoria, all the way to Malakal town, Malakal County, Upper Nile State,” the statement read in part.
According to the army chief, the operation is aimed at increasing trade volumes and widening the scope of commercial activities, permanently eliminating unnecessary and unauthorized taxes or levies and to ease and enhance fast and effective river transportation.
The chief of Defense Forces instructed Lt. Gen Marshal Stephen Babanen, the Chief of Military Intelligence, to supervise the implementation of the orders.
Addressing journalists in February, army Spokesperson Major General Lul Ruai Koang, said the illegal check point were slated for removal, especially considering the challenge the checkpoints caused on traders, who have had to pay exorbitant fees.
Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang revealed that there are 35 checkpoints on the Nile River, which were to be removed.
“SPLA-IO has 33 roadblocks along the Nile River. Agwelek of former Olony forces has two. General Olony agreed that he will remove his two checkpoints,” the national army spokesperson said.
Clash over dismantling of checkpoints
However, the removal of the illegal checkpoints have proved a hard nut to crack, as some are controlled by the opposition army SPLA-IO. An exercise that has attracted clashes between the two armies as the national army tries to implemented a presidential order issued during the latest Governor’s Forum, which instructed that all the illegal road and water checkpoints be removed.
In January this year, renewed fighting broke that lasted three days between the national army (SSPDF) and the oposiion forces SPLA-IO in Nagero County, Western Equatoria State.
Speaking to The City Review on the incident, the SSPDF Spokesperson reported that forces from SPLA-IO clashed with the army during the removal of illegal checkpoints at Bou Bridge in Nagero County.
Major General Lul said the clashes resulted in casualties.
“They attacked our position on Kubri Bou consecutively for three days, and we took casualties from the last attack crossing to Western Bahr el Ghazal. We have one casualty of a serviceman while two were wounded,” said Maj Gen Lul.
“They attacked us in coalition with the operation on checkpoint. And along the SPLA-IO has several little checkpoints. So, at the first checkpoint at Kubri Bou, when we tried to dismantle, they fired on our security forces and as a result two members from the security forces were shot and wounded. We returned the fire and they fled. So, we continued with our operation of removal of checkpoints,” he explained.
Meanwhile, attempts to dismantle illegal checkpoints along major highways in Western Bahr el Ghazal also sparked clashes between the two factions, further straining their fragile relations.
In February, Unity State authorities announced that they had removed about 20 illegal checkpoints, from Panyjinar to Guit County along the River Nile.
While South Sudan is on the path to unify its military as intended by the 2018 peace agreement, the journey has been spiked by various challenges, including staggering security reforms, inadequate financing, election delay and disputes.
Eyes will be on the key officers to ensure they implement the new order by the army chief.
