Rains Cut Off South Sudan Capital From Agriculture Rich Neighbourhood

By Kidega Livingstone 

Heavy rains pounding across South Sudan is cutting off vital supplies to the capital and other parts of the country.

Travelling with commodities across flood-prone South Sudan is worst during the months between June and September, when heavy rains lead to flooding in most parts.

In the Eastern Equatoria region of Magwi County, reaching the capital with farm products has become an ordeal.

The roads are in a sorry state with foodstuffs and other perishables rotting. A 135 kilometer stretch on the road leading for Magwi to Lobone and Magwi to Pajok are already impassable.

“This is a very serious issue for us here,” Otim Kagwa Richard, a farmer in Palwa village in Lobone Payam told Juba Echo.

“We have challenges of supplying Magwi town, Torit and Juba with our farm produces because of the poor road.”

The region supplies the capital Juba and surrounding areas with foodstuffs including maize, cassava, cabbages, tomatoes among others.

“Our health centre lacks a lot of things including drugs,” Richard said.

According to Oroma John, a boda boda cyclist who plies the road from Magwi inland, difficulty to negotiate the roads has led to an increase in fare.

Cut off areas of Obbo, Pajok, Palwa and Lobone have a population of more than 20,000 households and 90 percent of the population depend on agriculture for  their livelihood.

A women representative in Magwi, Susan Akello urged the leadership to ensure they get good roads, cleans drinking water and health facilities in the area

We are not happy because of the cattle that destroy our garden .we need strong security, roads and water because currently we have a lot challenges .We could not get access to better markets because we don’t have road,” said Akello.  

“Magwi county is one of the   food basket of South Sudan and we need  our road to be repaired.”