The Central Equatoria State Security Committee announced on Tuesday that it is seeking a review of the ban on checkpoints within the state.
In a briefing to reporters following a committee meeting chaired by Governor Augustino Jadallah in Juba, Leon Abe Brown, the State Minister of Local Government and Law Enforcement Agencies, explained that the resolution to remove checkpoints needs to be revisited due to issues with its implementation.
“The ban on checkpoints has led to errors in its application. The original order stipulated that illegal checkpoints should be dismantled, but legal checkpoints, which are identified under constitutional orders, should remain,” Abe said.
He clarified that legal checkpoints—such as those used for the collection of revenue between counties, Bomas, and Payams—are essential for proper governance. However, he said the implementation of the ban was flawed, and it resulted in the removal of all checkpoints, including those that are legally required.
“The ban on checkpoints has led to problems in controlling the collection of local revenues,” he explained. “It also complicates the movement of goods and people between counties, which makes it difficult to monitor what is coming in and out. The security committee has concluded that this error needs to be addressed so that Bomas, Payams, and counties can continue to manage their checkpoints effectively.”
Abe also highlighted the growing problem of criminal gangs, commonly known as “niggers,” and emphasized the need for heightened vigilance by security forces to combat these groups.
“This issue has become both persistent and complex, requiring security organs to remain on high alert,” he stressed.
In March 2021, Central Equatoria State government instructed the relevant authorities to remove illegal checkpoints along the roads from Juba into the other counties of the state. The order aimed at promoting trade in all the six counties of the state.