The engineering unit of the Bangladesh contingent serving under UNMISS has completed the repair of 56 km of road between Juba and Rokon, towards Mundri and handed it over to local authorities.

At a press event yesterday, UNMISS said that the old road was passable only during the dry season but now it can be used throughout the year.

“The work lasted almost 3 months, marram was spread all over the length of the road and drainage facilities were built when and where necessary. In fact, a whole drainage system was built along the road to safeguard it from water logging,” stated the spokesperson of the mission.

UNMISS said, “Infrastructure are crucial for a sustainable development of South Sudan, building and maintaining infrastructure to ensure all people of South Sudan are connected, to give farmers access to markets and more generally allow the people of South Sudan to trade commodities.”

A handover ceremony was held on Tuesday in Rokon attended by the Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, Roads and Bridges Gabriel Maker.

Lt. Col. Mohammed Shamsul-Commander of the Bangladesh engineering contingent said during ceremony at Rokon, “We have seen the suffering of people of this area and when we got this opportunity, at what time UNMISS entrusted us for this, we took it by our heart.”

Gabriel Maker said, “It was very difficult for cars to move. All the businesses along this road have closed due to the bad road. Today you can travel between Rokon and Juba within only one and half hours but previously it use to take about five hours.”