Broken Sobu bridge connecting Raja County and Wau town. (Photo: Courtesy)

The only bridge connecting Raja County with Wau town of Western Bahr el Ghazal State has been washed away following torrential rain, a local official has said.

Raja Commissioner Andison Arkangelo Musa said strong current from Sobu river has broken the bridge, leaving motorist stranded and cutting off the area from Western Bahr el Ghazal’s state capital.

He said the situation has hindered food supplies to the area for two weeks now.

“Because of the heavy rain which increase the water flow of river Sobu and cost a damage in the part of the Sobu Bridge, it took the bridge down, so now the cars, bicycle, and motorbike cannot pass,” said Musa.

Arkangelo is calling on the national government, especially the Minister of Roads and Bridges to intervene and repair the bridge.

Speaking to Eye Radio, he said “Truly, this the only bridge that connect the Area with Wau. And am appealing to the state government together with us let’s do an urgent assistant and support.”

“The national government have a big role, because all the main roads that link between area and area, state and state it’s a responsibility of the national government and appalling for the minister and all the staff in the national ministry of roads and bridges.”

South Sudan’s roads have been described as “the worst” in the region, in a report released by an east African body, the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Co-ordination Authority.

“The roads in South Sudan are at the lowest category, worst, while you get Rwanda and Kenya being from good to very good,” Daily Star newspaper quotes Omae Nyarandi, NCTTCA executive secretary as saying.

This week the Minister of Roads and Bridges Simon Mijok Mijak apologized for the worst road conditions in the country, saying his ministry did not intend to inconvenience road users.

Mijak however, blamed the situation on ‘massive volumes’ of water coming from Congo and Ethiopian highlands.