JUBA – A government taskforce has begun dismantling illegal roadblocks across South Sudan as the country makes a fresh attempt in a bid to protect motorists from extortion and restore order along the country’s busiest highways.
The Inter-Agency Committee, a multisectoral body established to enforce accountability on road operations, launched its first operation on Thursday.
The move comes after years of complaints from truck drivers, traders, and ordinary commuters who have accused rogue security officers and local officials of demanding illegal payments at multiple checkpoints.
Deputy Governor of Central Equatoria State, Paulino Lukudu, led the operation at Nesitu checkpoint in Lokiliri Payam, accompanied by Simon Akuei Deng, Commissioner General of the South Sudan Revenue Authority (SSRA); Emmanuel Tete, Commissioner of Juba County; the Executive Director of the South Sudan National Bureau of Standards; and representatives of security agencies.
Lukudu directed the removal of all unauthorised checkpoints on the Juba–Nimule corridor, South Sudan’s main trade route, leaving only official security verification points at Nesitu and Nimule.
“The committee will supervise all the issues that drivers are complaining about. It will be empowered to investigate and hold accountable those engaged in illegal collections,” Lukudu said.
“We will also move undercover, sometimes using motorcycles or small cars, so that those involved in extortion will not know we are coming. Some will be arrested on the spot.”
Lukudu further suspended the controversial SSP 5,000 parking fees imposed by Lokiliri Payam authorities, saying the collection would only resume once the government had addressed widespread extortion.
SSRA Commissioner General Akuei supported the directive, acknowledging that while the rate schedule for parking fees is legal, its implementation has been flawed.
“Transit goods should not be charged parking fees on the road. If a driver stops inside a designated park to rest, the government can collect something. But charging people who have not even parked is illegal,” Akuei emphasised.
He said discussions would soon be held with the Central Equatoria State revenue authority to streamline proper fee collection.
Emmanuel Tete, the Commissioner of Juba County, called on traffic police and security agencies to stop harassing drivers.
“I have personally witnessed drivers break down large notes into smaller ones to pay bribes. These illegal practices must end,” he said.
“Truck drivers should not be your responsibility. If penalties are necessary, they must follow traffic laws and be issued with receipts,” he added.
Reports suggest there are more than 30 illegal checkpoints across South Sudan, draining millions of South Sudanese Pounds from traders and drivers each month.
For example, one Fuso truck driver travelling from Juba to Nimule reportedly paid SSP 1.9 million in bribes without receiving a single receipt. Such incidents have raised alarm among businesspeople, who say the illegal fees increase the cost of goods and hurt the economy.
Efforts to dismantle illegal roadblocks have in the past triggered armed clashes. Earlier this year in Western Bahr el Ghazal, fighting broke out between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO) during a similar operation.
SPLA-IO spokesperson Col. Lam Paul Gabriel accused the SSPDF of violating the peace agreement by attacking their positions. But SSPDF spokesperson Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai denied the allegations, insisting that the army was only carrying out the government’s directive to dismantle illegal checkpoints.
“It wasn’t an attack on their position,” Ruai explained. “We were dismantling illegal checkpoints along the road from Nagero to Wau.”
The latest operations come months after President Salva Kiir, who is also commander-in-chief of the armed forces, ordered all military operations to cease. In a March directive, Kiir instructed the SSPDF to immediately halt any offensive actions against rival forces.
“‘All forces under my command are hereby ordered to cease any form of attack or military operation against any forces with immediate effect,’” the presidential statement read.
Despite this order, incidents of violence and continued illegal collections have persisted, undermining peace efforts and frustrating economic recovery.
The Juba–Nimule highway remains South Sudan’s main trade lifeline, linking the capital to Uganda and other regional markets.
But constant harassment, illegal taxation, and insecurity threaten its reliability. Traders say the costs are passed on to consumers, driving up already high prices of goods in local markets.
By cracking down on illegal roadblocks, the government hopes to restore trust among road users, ease business operations, and strengthen revenue collection through legal channels.
For now, all eyes remain on whether the Inter-Agency Committee can sustain its operations and dismantle entrenched networks of corruption on South Sudan’s roads.
