Governor Urges Government To Link Road With Ethiopia To Facilitate Oil Export

This article was last updated on May 25, 2022

Canada: Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart…
USA: Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart…

“We are tired of looking north [Sudan]. We must not always be looking north. Let’s change the direction and look east or south. Nothing good shall ever come out from Khartoum. Let’s make our road connecting us to Ethiopia and then to Djibouti and we will get goods flowing to South Sudan,” the governor said while addressing members of the legislative assembly in Malakal.

“North is north. It cannot change but individuals change. You people need to change. We must change our attitude towards the north, we must go for east,” Puoch stated.

Since the independence of South Sudan, Sudan ordered the closure of its routes to South Sudan blocking the landlocked country from benefitting bilateral trade.

Upper Nile state is at the far north of the new country with poor road connections to other states in South Sudan.

The state suffers from sky rocketing prices in the market due scarcity of goods.

Puoc said his citizens have suffered and that “the state government will take measures now.”

“We will not wait for the national government because our citizens are the ones suffering,” he added.

Puoc said if the Malakal – Ethiopia road is constructed oil from Paloch can be transported by trucks through Ethiopia and Djibouti to international Market bringing South Sudan back to economic stability.

He wondered why the national government turns away its interest on this project.

“Two weeks ago the national government want to build a road from Kenya through Torit to Juba with US $ 1.5 billion. What are they going to bring us with this road? Do they want to bring us goods from East Africa to cheat us in South Sudan? Puoc asked.

He said the government is better to fund Malakal – Ethiopia road to make oil run again.

“This is not worthy at all. Why not use the money for this road so that we ferry our oil to Djibouti and we get the money. I am very saddened with that thing. It is a problem,” he said.

Puoc said roads are good for services deliverance and their development must be selected based on economic importance to the country.

“If it is because of austerity measures we can tell the company that the road is for the oil and you will be given barrels of oil to sell and get your money from there. I think it is easy that way,” he concluded.