By Adia Jildo
Traders in Kajo-Keji have said high level of harassment has been imposed on them by security personnel and hijackers when travelling which has left most in fear of their lives.
Sallah Addallah a driver who has been driving along Juba, Kajo-Keji road for almost 5 years said it has been 2 years now as drivers as well as passengers continue to be severely harassed by soldiers, rebels and hijackers.
“Drivers are beaten on these roads. We face a lot of problems. You make your money and along the way, they will take the money. It the same government that will come and take the little you have made,” he said.
Sallah said attempts to reach their voices to the authorities were in vain as the situation remained untouched and unsolved.
“We tell our people about the road and they don’t take our voices. One person can speak up but there are no people ahead there to take our voices further to the higher authorities,” he explained.
He cited inability of forces to rescue situation most that are hijacked or attacked along the way are not rescued.
“Two years down the road now a lot of things are happening like rapping, poor, insecurity by rebels. Our boda boda boys are hijacked but no government is ready to come and rescue the situation,” he said.
He added that presence of insecurity has prevented them from moving and making most youth idle which might trigger misbehavior.
Sallah called on the government to intervene on their calls for the benefit of the people of Kajo Keji.
“Let the government listen to our cry. These roads should be made secure and well-constructed. We are not moving, it’s only our road that’s poor,” he said.
According to a civil society activist and Director for the community empowerment for progress Edmund Yakani said inability of the governor to immediately intervene might lead to escalation of insecurity.
Edmund called on the governor of Central Equatoria Emmanuel Adil Anthony to have political will and answer the call of the people with immediate effect.
“My appeal is for the governor to have the political will to deliver the recommendation of the committee urgently. The governor should immediately reconstitute the accountability and justice process on the incidence of Kajo Keji,” he urged.
He further called on the governor for transparency and timely reconstitution of recommendation to prevent reoccurrence of any violence as well as respect of human right by the soldiers.
“I call on the soldiers to be disciplined and not to harass anybody,” he said.