State governors stand up for the national anthem at the 6th Governors' Forum. (Photo: Lou Nelson/Eye Radio).

The Archbishop of the Episcopal Church in South Sudan Justin Badi Arama has appealed to state governors to remove illegal checkpoints and roadblocks across the country.

Speaking at the ongoing Governors’ Forum in Juba, Bishop Badi said removing unwarranted roadblocks will hasten service delivery and humanitarian access to needy populations across the far-flung areas.

“I want to say to our Governors the cry from your people is that, the roadblocks are too much so please reduce them or remove them to deliver services to the people,” said Badi.

His remarks follow concerns by activists, aid agencies and traders over illegal checkpoints and roadblocks hindering trade and humanitarian operations in the country.

In 2021, a joint report by two foreign independent research institutes revealed that transport in South Sudan is amongst the most expensive in the world.

The International Peace Information Service and Danish Institute for International Studies, say over the past three years they mapped 319 checkpoints along major trade routes in South Sudan.

According to their findings, out of 319 checkpoints, 253 are roadblocks and 66 are river checkpoints.

It states that government soldiers and civilian authorities control most of the checkpoints along overland routes, while SPLA/M in opposition controls slightly more than half of the checkpoints along rive routes.

Aid organizations and travelers along main roads and waterways linking the states have also complained on several occasions about the increasing number of illegal checkpoints.

Armed and uniformed men are accused of mounting roadblocks and demanding money from truck drivers, motorists, and humanitarians for them to proceed in their journey.

The illegal checkpoints such as the one along the Nile – forced the UN food agency, WFP to suspend its barge movements in Upper Nile State in August 2022.

The situation is seen to have persisted in disregard of a 2018 order from President Salva Kiir to dismantle all the illegal checkpoints and roadblocks.