Peacekeepers from seven different countries are repairing some 3,200 kilometers of roads and main supply routes across the world’s newest country. Improved roadways are expected to boost communication, trade and reconciliation among communities. Photo by Gregorio Cunha/UNMISS
Building roads is painstaking work. Progress is miniscule at times, the weather is hot and conditions challenging,” says Lieutenant-General Shailesh Tinaikar, UNMISS Force Commander, as he inspects ongoing road repairs in Rokon, Central Equatoria.
The mission’s engineers from Bangladesh have been stationed here for the past four months, rehabilitating a much-needed supply route connecting communities living in and around Rokon to South Sudan’s capital city, Juba.
“Our goal was to repair some 300 kilometers of the road between Juba and Rokon. We’ve finished patching up 130 kilometers so far; we’ll complete the remaining 170 kilometers in subsequent weeks,” states Major Raihan, a Bangladeshi peacekeeper heading the engineering crew on the ground.
This work is done in phases with engineers setting up temporary bases for some 25 days as they complete parts of the entire route. However, the impact is profound.
“County administrators from Rokon informed me that it takes people 8-10 hours to reach Juba when the road is not maintained. Thanks to our Bangladeshi engineers, it’s now reduced to two hours,” reveals the Force Commander.
The benefits of better roads are obvious for UNMISS and humanitarian partners since access to remote communities remains a challenge in the world’s newest country, particularly during the rainy season when torrential downpours lead to floods, making it virtually impossible to travel by land. As a solution to this recurring problem, UNMISS engineers from seven different countries are rehabilitating some 3,200 kilometers of land routes across the country.
The two main supply routes that engineers are working on include a 1046-kilometer stretch from Juba to Bentiu, via Rumbek and Wau in the west, and a 398-kilometer route in the east connecting Juba, Bor and Pibor.
“We’ve faced major obstacles in the past few months,” reveals Lieutenant-Colonel Vikrant Bora, the lead engineer overseeing the rehabilitation. “COVID-19 restrictions combined with incessant rain and flooding in various parts of the country from September last year till January made it extremely difficult for my team to make concrete progress. However, our engineers have managed to complete 40 per cent of the work and we’re well on track to achieving our target by May when the rains will begin again.”
Apart from major trading routes, UNMISS is also carrying out repair work on several arterial roads and bridges.
“This is important because good roads mean greater, swifter access to civilians in imminent threat and also makes it that much easier to ensure humanitarian assistance reaches those who need it the most,” adds Force Commander Tinaikar.
“The bulk of the work started in November last year and I am heartened by the grit and dedication shown by engineers from Bangladesh, South Korea, China, India, Pakistan and Thailand. They are working in very harsh conditions to make sure our patrols can move freely and quickly across the country and communities in remote locations can travel much more easily to access healthcare, schools, markets and other necessary services.”
The Force Commander’s views are reinforced by David Shearer, the top UN envoy in South Sudan.
“I can’t overstate the tangible impact of this work – it is an often-overlooked legacy of our peacekeeping,” says SRSG Shearer. “In a country with just 400 kilometers of paved roadways, improving roads boosts communication, increases trade, jobs – and most critically, it builds peace through linking communities.”