Residents of the disputed region of Abyei are protesting a sharp increase in transportation fares, blaming deteriorating road conditions for making travel and the transport of goods prohibitively expensive.
The price of a bus ticket from Abyei to Wau has risen from 150,000 South Sudanese pounds (SSP) to 200,000 SSP, according to residents. Shorter internal routes have seen even steeper percentage increases, with fares to Aneet jumping from 15,000 SSP to 50,000 SSP.
Achok Deng, a local businesswoman, told Radio Tamazuj that the impassable roads and high costs are crippling her small trade. “The social effects are eminent for those who don’t afford air transport,” she said. “If it happened that your relative falls sick, then it is going to be so hard to access a hospital in Wau or Juba.”
Deng and other residents, like Amal Agal, are appealing to the national Ministry of Roads and Bridges to improve the roads to ease the burden on average citizens. Agal noted that the fare to Juba has risen to 400,000 SSP from 300,000 SSP, and local motorcycle taxi, or BodaBoda, fares have also increased significantly.
Officials acknowledged the problem.
Yohana Akol, the area’s information minister, confirmed that transportation fares within Abyei and to neighboring regions are high due to muddy, poor-quality roads.
Akol clarified that the U.N. Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) is only renovating internal roads within the town and not the major road connecting to Wau.
However, there is a conflicting account from the drivers’ union. Lual Arop, secretary general of the Abyei Drivers’ Union, disputes the reported fare for the route to Aneet, stating the current price is 20,000 SSP, not 50,000 SSP. He attributed the general fare increases to the poor road conditions and rising fuel costs.
A potential relief may come from recent fuel price reductions.
Osman Chol Deng, chairperson of the Abyei Chamber of Commerce, expressed appreciation to local petrol stations for lowering the price of a liter of gasoline from 16,000 SSP to 9,000 SSP and diesel from 13,000 SSP to 7,000 SSP. He suggested this should lead to a reduction in bus fares.
Arop confirmed the drivers’ union plans to convene a discussion with drivers to lower fares following the fuel price drop.
Arop also raised an additional concern, reporting that drivers are facing overtaxing at checkpoints in the Anthony area, despite a national government order to close internal checkpoints.