Commercial activities resumed on Aweil-Meiram road after it had been closed for more than seven months following tensions between two border communities-Dinka Malual of South Sudan and Misseriya of Sudan.
Government and community leaders from both sides resolved their differences and agreed to support border trade.
“Yes, it is working now, it has been working since the Arab came. I think you heard about the Misseriyia coming last week. They came up to Aweil and went back. It is opened officially and if you want to go to Mairam, you can go,’’ Abraham Wiik Awan, the executive director in Aweil East County said.
The road is vital for the importation of goods from Sudan into South Sudan through Northern and Western Bahr el Ghazal and other parts of the greater Bahr el Ghazal region.
Perpetrators from both communities have killed several people from both sides leading to the closure of the road. The governments of the two countries resolved the matter months ago and called for the resumption of movement on the route.
Aweil East County police said they are monitoring if the reopening is successful.
Currently, South Sudanese are not allowed to access the road until the security sector ensures the trade route is safe.
“We don’t have much information on how the road was opened officially or if they are coming as smugglers to assess the situation. It was reopened but there were not many people coming via the road, just a few people came,’’ said Lt. Colonel Deng Chier, police commissioner in Aweil East.
Traders have welcomed the reopening of the route and said many items such as petroleum, sugar, and heavy-duty oils are arriving in the border markets of Majok, Warawar, and Wanyjok for the last one week.
Abraham Garang, a trader in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, said: “Yes, this road is opened, all people are so happy because this road will improve trade if it is opened. Goods are coming, sugar is coming and everything, petroleum is coming with big trucks. It has approximately a week, people are working, it will be good if nothing bad happens, I see the situation will be good indeed because the goods are coming and everything people need has arrived.”
A Sudanese trader called Abdel Fattah Al-Amin said the road is opened, adding that they move their goods freely. The only challenge facing the merchants is the increased checkpoints where tax and customs officers gather huge of money which is affecting business people, according to Al-Amin.
“The road is good, the goods are cheap, but the problem is about customs and tax- they are very huge. Aweil-Mairam, Warawar-Wanyjok, all goods are coming from there,’’ he said.