Trucks at the Nimule Customs yard | Credit | Deng Daniel

South Sudan’s Ambassador to Uganda has urged the Bureau of Standards of the two countries to carry out quality tests and issue certificates to its traders bringing goods to the country.

Simon Juac Deng says the governments of South Sudan and Uganda have assured their commitment to operating within the East Africa Community framework and standards.

He made the remarks at the weekend after the visit by Ugandan officials to Juba where they discussed bilateral issues including the border crisis.

Juac says such measures will minimize misunderstandings and clearance delays at the border town of Nimule.

He cited the May 2023 incident when over 62 Uganda trucks loaded with maize grains were impounded by the South Sudan Bureau of Standards after A lab test found the items contained aflatoxin.

“The government of South Sudan and Uganda assured their commitment to operate within the East Africa Community framework and standard. To ensure fear trade with good standard and quality food for the people,” Amb Juac spoke to Eye Radio over the weekend.

“For our Bureau of Standards, if there is any product coming out of Uganda the National Bureau of Standards in Uganda have to carry out the quality test and issue a certificate so when the product crosses to South Sudan,” he said.

“We know that the good went through the right procedure and quality test and it is good for human consumption our Bureau of Standards can do random tests for confirmation we can’t rely only on other people’s tests.”

“The bad side of things is what we faced between May and August when these trucks were seized and people didn’t know what happened that is why we are calling on the Bureau of Standards across the region to ensure that before good exit their countries they have to issue qualification certificate and of course, there will those people who will try to make shortcut those will be treated as criminal and prosecuted.”

In July this year, the National Bureau of Standard issued a circular informing the traders that all the goods imported to South Sudan must be subjected to the mandatory laboratory examination

Ugandan food scientists In February 2023, found that maize, sorghum, and groundnuts produced locally pose a cancer risk.