SSPDF Defends Checkpoints Despite Extortion by Soldiers

(JUBA) – Military checkpoints and roadblocks across South Sudan remain necessary to stop the illegal movement of weapons, the army has said, while admitting that some soldiers use them to extort money from travellers.

The Chief of Military Intelligence of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Abud Stephen Thiongkol, said the checkpoints are a key tool to curb arms trafficking across the country’s porous borders and to stop weapons from reaching civilians.

“Our major challenges are roadblocks.

The ministry is trying to restrict the movement of arms within the country.

As you know, South Sudan has very porous borders, and we have an influx of arms in every corner.

We are trying to put some checkpoints to regulate or control the movement of arms and ammunition,” Lt Gen Abud said.

He acknowledged that some junior officers have been using the checkpoints to demand money from travellers. This has created difficulties for civilians and for humanitarian partners moving around the country.

“There are some challenges that come up during those roadblocks which also interfere with the movement of our partners and even the people,” Lt Gen Abud added.

The remarks were made during a workshop held in Juba on Friday. The meeting brought together the SSPDF, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, known as UNMISS and the Joint Verification and Monitoring Mechanism.

The workshop was called to discuss challenges affecting peacekeeping operations and the delivery of services across the country.