VP Taban blames insecurity in Unity State, Ruweng on checkpoints

2026-03-24 - 08:14

Vice President and Chairperson of the Infrastructure Cluster, Taban Deng Gai, has identified the personnel manning 26 illegal checkpoints in Unity State and Ruweng as primary drivers of insecurity and economic disruption. Speaking at Medan Simba during funeral prayers for victims of the March 1st Abiemnom incident, the Vice President stated that these roadblocks persist despite national government directives to eliminate them. He noted that the individuals responsible for the sites do not exempt United Nations vehicles, oil company transport, or official government convoys from interference. The Vice President mapped the distribution of these unauthorized locations, identifying 13 checkpoints in Abiemnom, seven between Mayom and Rubkona, and six between Rubkona and other parts of Unity State. According to Taban, these sites hinder the movement of people, traders, and essential goods to oil fields and refugee camps. He stated that while South Sudan has addressed the issue of roadblocks in most regions, areas such as Twic Mayardit, Abiemnom, Mayom, and Rubkona continue to face these challenges. The Vice President revealed that even official government property is not immune to these delays. He cited an incident where a tractor he dispatched remained held for 20 hours at a checkpoint between Abiemnom and Mayom, despite being escorted by a captain-ranked officer. “South Sudan has eliminated the problems of checkpoints and roadblocks, except in Twic Mayardit, the Abiemnom area, Mayom, and Rubkona,” the Vice President stated. “Those responsible for the checkpoints do not exempt UN vehicles or vehicles belonging to the oil fields.” The Vice President emphasized that the persistent presence of these 26 sites undermines the national effort to stabilize movement and trade. He concluded that the personnel manning these checkpoints in Unity State continue to cause deadly incidents and high costs for the local economy.