Hundreds of local residents and soldiers in Mukaya County of Yei River State have resorted to using rudimentary tools to open up roads that link payams, an official said.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj last Thursday, the county commissioner, Joy Keji said community leaders, county officials, youth, women and government soldiers took part in the communal clearing of roads, schools and health centers covered with bushes.

She said the cleanup exercise will ease movement of civilians to Yei town and other villages, thus creating access for humanitarian agencies to deliver basic services to the county’s rural population.

“We are cleaning the road, all roads in Mukaya have been covered by tall grasses and this is also to create a safe movement for the civilians and the humanitarian actors. We started the exercise from the county headquarters to Lorega and we shall proceed from Yondoru to Dimu up to Limbe payam,” Keji said.

She urged the state government and its partners to provide mechanized construction equipment like road graders, bulldozers and rollers to support the community’s efforts in road reconstruction.

“My message to the government is that let them support the people of Mukaya in their development efforts. We don’t have graders and we are using pangas and hoes to clear the roads. My message to the humanitarian organizations is that we welcome them to come to Mukaya for assessment,” Keji said.

Mukaya County is one of the areas badly affected by the 2016 crisis.