This archive report was first published on 25 August 2021.
August 25, 2021
South Sudanese authorities have deployed a joint security team to track down bandits terrorizing Kenyan and Ugandan drivers on the Juba-Nimule highway.
The move comes after Kenyan truckers suspended cargo transport services to South Sudan following the killing of two drivers and the torching of their trucks by unknown criminals on Saturday.
According to Gen Daniel Justine, the National Police Service spokesman, a joint security team composed of military intelligence and police officers was sent out on Monday to track down the bandits.
Deputy Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Deng Dau Deng met with Kenyan diplomats in Juba and promised safety for foreign drivers, saying, 'I, on behalf of the South Sudan government, met the Kenya ambassador to convey my condolences to the families that lost their loved ones during the weekend attack. We condemned the barbaric attack and call for an end to such.'
Kenya's ambassador to Juba, Samuel Nandwa, called on Kenyans in South Sudan to stay calm, saying, 'I want to tell all Kenyans to feel at home and know that they are in secure hands as they travel between Nimule and Juba as the government is taking care of the security.'
The Kenya Transporters Association (KTA) suspended transporting cargo to South Sudan after two truck drivers were killed 45km from Juba on Sunday evening.
South Sudan depends mainly on the Mombasa port for its imports, with Kenya Ports Authority data indicating it is only second to Uganda in the volume of its imported cargo.
