This archive report was first published on 10 June 2020.
June 10, 2020 - The South Sudanese government has suspended the construction of a major highway connecting to Uganda over quality concerns.
The Juba-Rumbek highway, a 392km project, was being constructed by Shandong Hi-Speed Group Corporation over a three-year period. However, a heavy downpour last month swept away some sections of the road, prompting the government to review the project's design.
According to Vice President Taban Deng, who is in charge of Infrastructure, the suspension does not mean the construction has stopped, but is to ensure quality standards are met.
"The suspension does not mean the construction has stopped, but is to review the design of the road. So I call on the company to build their capacity within the suspension period to ensure quality standard of the road," Taban told journalists during a media site visit.
President Salva Kiir had fired the Presidential Affairs Minister, Mayiik Ayii, last week over what he described as poor supervision of the project.
Chinese Ambassador to South Sudan, Hua Ning, has assured that the company will make necessary changes to improve the quality of the highway.
"China is going to make sure that this road [Juba-Rumbek] is reviewed and constructed well," said Hua.
A seven-member technical committee has been formed to investigate the matter, with a report expected within 21 days.
