Nile Barge transporting commercial goods. (Photo: Wikimedia).

An official says commercial boats and barges pay up to one million South Sudanese pounds to pass thirteen illegal checkpoints along the Nile River between Juba and Malakal towns.

El-Zubeir Taban Zakayo, the Director-General of River Transport in the national Ministry of Transport, said the number of unauthorized checkpoints across the River Nile increased dramatically during the rainy season.

He blames the extortion on the security situation along the river routes and calls on the relevant authorities to intervene.

“Till you reach Malakal town, there are a lot of challenges in terms of security. From Shambe to Atar we have thirteen checkpoints,” Zakayo said on Tuesday.

“They are illegal checkpoints without any approval from the government of the ministry of transport, and its illegal tax collation checkpoints.”

According to him, the traders and boat sailors are forced to pay in kind – about 150 bags of sugar or wheat flour per a barge to be allowed passage.

“It has a lot of difficulties for the companies that are working in the field of river transport. These checkpoints are taken money from the users of river transport and it ranges between 700,000 SSP to one million SSP or more.”

“They sometimes take fuel and food items and sometimes they can take 150 sacks of wheat flour and 150 sages of sugar.”

In August, the United Nations’ food agency, WFP suspended its barge movements Malakal, and beyond Adok and Kaldak areas in Upper Nile State due to insecurity and illegal checkpoints.

The UN cited heavy taxation and illegal checkpoints allegedly along river routes, impacting the delivery of supplies by both humanitarian and commercial boat owners.