The level of cross-border trade flows from Sudan to Northern Bahr al Ghazal via Aweil East County in South Sudan has dropped, according to local sources.

Hamed Ali, head of the Sudan Traders Union said, “What we are facing is a lot of water on roads coming to Majok from Meiram and also from Majok at the border to Aweil Town.”

For his part, Aweil East County Commissioner Awet Kiir Awet says businesses within the county has slowed down since the start of Ramadan earlier this month.

He said most of the traders from Sudan who came daily with the goods are now fasting and this cannot allow them to travel at daytime and this therefore slowed down businesses between Majok Nyinthiou and Meiram.

The commissioner did not comment specifically on prices but he said generally there are some goods that became expensive in the market

But according to the head of the traders’ union in Warawar, John Dut Athian, there are no problems facing traders transporting goods from Sudan to South Sudan. He even said that a previous major problem of banditry along the route has been solved.

Dut said traders coming with heavily loaded vehicles use to get hijacked by armed Arab nomads between Majok and Meiram but this has ben solved by Arab leaders some time back.

“Now we are peaceful,” the trader remarked. 

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