A South Sudan civil society leader on Monday urged authorities to deploy traffic police along major roads in the capital, Juba, after severe congestion disrupted movement during the court trial of suspended Vice President Riek Machar.
The trial, which normally takes place every Monday, Wednesday and Friday in Juba, has drawn heightened security measures and road restrictions around key areas of the city.
Edmund Yakani, executive director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), said traffic jams stretched from Juba International Airport to the Mudiriya roundabout, leaving motorists stranded for hours.
“The traffic jam from the airport to Mudiriya was extremely heavy, and people were stranded for hours,” Yakani told reporters, calling for urgent traffic management during court sessions involving Machar and his co-accused.
Yakani said the Minister of Interior had already issued directives to the Inspector General of Police and traffic police leadership, but implementation remained weak.
“What is lacking now is implementation to manage and reduce the traffic jam during the court trial,” he said.
He expressed disappointment over what he described as the absence of traffic police on key roads, saying the lack of guidance for drivers worsened congestion.
“It is very disappointing that there were no traffic police officers on the road to guide drivers,” Yakani said, adding that indiscipline among motorists had compounded the problem.
“You find drivers creating three lanes out of a two-lane road. This behaviour causes serious traffic jams and completely blocks movement,” he said.
Yakani appealed to the Minister of Interior, the Inspector General of Police and President Salva Kiir to ensure traffic officers are deployed at congestion hotspots during the trial period.
He warned that prolonged gridlock posed serious risks, particularly for people requiring urgent medical care.
“Someone can die in a traffic jam even when the hospital is very close,” Yakani said.
He urged authorities to immediately deploy traffic police to ensure public safety and smoother traffic flow in the capital.