The Indian troops serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) have rehabilitated the 75 kilometers road from Adwong through Bailet to Malakal, the capital of Upper Nile State.
The road is the main supply route to South Sudan’s Upper Nile State used by humanitarians, traders, and communities along the road, according to a statement from UNMISS.
UNMISS says it took 60 peacekeepers about 30 days to work on the stretch which involved drilling, cutting bushes, and filling potholes.
“A better road improves all our lives in many ways. The travel time has been reduced from four hours to one, and that can make a huge difference for anyone needing urgent medical care in Malakal, for example. For traders and farmers, it means that they can go there, sell their products and return home the same day,” UNMISS quotes Chuol Lul Monyabur Diing, an elderly man from the village of Anakdiar.
Relatedly, UNMISS says peacekeepers are currently working the 167 kilometers that separate Paloch from Malakal and it is expected to facilitate humanitarian access, boost trade and increase the general freedom of movement between the three counties of Malakal, Baliet, and Melut.