Fuel crisis in Unity State relieved by river trade route to Upper Nile
By Bonifacio Taban Kuich
July 14, 2011 (BENTIU) – Unity State’s government has opened river transport between Malakal in Upper Nile and Bentui in an attempt to relieve the fuel shortages, caused by North Sudan’s blockage of road transport from passing through South Kordofan.
Despite being oil-rich South Sudan has no refineries and has to import or receive back its oil once it has been processed in North Sudan. South Sudan separated the the North on July 9 as part of a 2005 peace that ended a conflict that was fought especially hard around Unity’s oil fields.
In June conflict between Sudan Armed Forces and northern armed groups aligned to South Sudan began following an attempt by Khartoum to disarm the former rebels.
Fuel cost over 180 Sudanese Pounds (SDG) – 67 USD – per 20 litre Jerrican in Unity State when the North began blocking business transportation of goods into the Southern state.
Last week Unity opened up the new river route to enable it to trade with its western neighbour Upper Nile. Poor infrastructure in South Sudan is one of the major challenges facing the new nation.
Gatluak Pajang Manabul a fuel seller in Kalabalek Market in Bentiu town told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday that prices had dropped following the new trade route opening.
Pajang added the price of fuel had dropped from 200 SDG to 140 SDG per 20 litre Jerrican.
However he encouraged the South Sudan government to invest in oil refineries to stop their reliance on the North. Landlocked South Sudan will rely on pipelines running through North Sudan to the Red Sea for the foreseeable future unless it is able to build a pipeline to Kenya, which could take eight years or more.
When the South seceded on July 9 it took with it 75 percent of the old country’s known oil.
Although the route into Unity and other states west of the White Nile were cut off by the North’s blockade, trade from the to Upper Nile and further down the river Nile has continued.
Small boats and streamers are now shuttling items – mostly oil – from Malakal to Unity. While the freight capacity might not be enough to supply the rest of South Sudan affected by the northern blockade, it is making a noticeable difference.
(ST)
Deng Thiak Adut
Fuel crisis in Unity State relieved by river trade route to Upper Nile
Dear Friends;
I urge the South Sudan Parliament to consider local consumption as critical factor when you balancing Khartoum abuses and make use of the alternative route rather from South Sudan than being at the mercy of the Khartoum. I have said before that Khartoum is like “Lazarus with triple-by-pass-surgery” and mourning vigorous for the lost, and would do anything to bring about instability in the South. I am urging my fellow South Sudanese leaders to consider borrowing money somewhere else and starts building railway lines, roads and pipelines from and to Kenya or Uganda and to also encourage locals peoples engaging in substantives farming and other form of trades at the main times.
NB: No viable South Sudan without peace with Rebel groups.
Mading Makuac
Fuel crisis in Unity State relieved by river trade route to Upper Nile
Deng Thiak
You are very right on that point local trade shouldn’t be encourage
within South Sudan but i disagree with you for the pipeline which will be connected from South Sudan upto Kenya or Uganda.
You know Kenyans depend on stealing ,whenever that pipeline is connected they will steal almost our oil.The good thing
our government will has done at the moment is to stop that trade and plan for another way where it market our oil.
Dinka Dominated SPLA/M
Fuel crisis in Unity State relieved by river trade route to Upper Nile
Good one james .
Congratulations to South Sudan for UN Membership But Shame to Ezekiel Lol: I would like to take this occasion to congratulate the Republic of South Sudan for being admitted today on 14th July 2011 to the membership of the United Nations. This day completes my happiness of the 9th July as I see the beautiful flag of my beloved Motherland hoisted high amongst other flags of nations in the UN compound at New York. Congratulations to President Salva Kiir Mayardit for being recognized worldwide today as the First President of the Republic of South Sudan. Congratulations to the Vice-President Dr. Riek Machar too for making history at the UN building in New York as the first South Sudanese highest authority to address the U.N General Assembly. Nonetheless, the speech read by VP Dr. Riek was poorly drafted. Shame to the Ethiopian Nuer called Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth who represent temporary and informally the Republic of South Sudan at UN for such an amateurish work full of must, must, must and without any touch of diplomatic language.
Shame to Mr. Ezekiel too to dance in a Nuer style in front of the holistic South Sudanese flag as if it is a tribal celebration in New York. This shows how incompetent he is!! It is high time for real Southerners to represent their country. Let Mr. Ezekiel go back to Gumbela in Ethiopia or remain in U.S where he is naturalized. His term is just over and it must be ended in order to avoid South Sudanese being perceived as incompetent in future, especially at dignified gathering like in the UN Headquarters
Msudi
Fuel crisis in Unity State relieved by river trade route to Upper Nile
Dinka Dominated SPLM/A,
Friend, I would like to recommend to you to go on to GOSS official internet portal at http://www.goss-online.org and read again the spech delivered to UN general assembly by the RSS vice president. It is in pdf file before you criticize Lol Gatkuoth.
Friend, what is wrong if Lol Gatkuoth showed his happiness to the world by dancing in Nuer?
If you think Lol Gatkuoth should go to Ethiopia, then what about Deng Alor, Ping Deng, Luka Biong and all the abyei citizens in the GOSS will they go the republic of sudan since that is their country?
kweheri ya kuonana
Dinka Dominated SPLA/M
Fuel crisis in Unity State relieved by river trade route to Upper Nile
stupid son of bitch. those you mention could not be compare with Lol gatkuoth. because they fought with no selfishness and fearless with southrense upto now.
Ping deng, Luka Biong Deng and Deng alor kuol can never be compared to your wicked coward who peretented to be ethoipian in dark days and when there is food in south sudan they becames southrenss. shame on you.
The opportunistic lol gatkuoth is from gubla ethoipia with no doubt. not a southrense.
shame shame on you foolish child of a gready man.
There is no Dinkas anywhere accept south sudan. which mean the Ngok Dinkas are southrense. like it or not. you should go to hell.
Garang Lual
Fuel crisis in Unity State relieved by river trade route to Upper Nile
Mr: Dinka Dominated SPLA/M
Please I am sorry for what you have done whither it was intentionally or ignorantly, but I urge you to apologize to Dr James Okuku for the plagiarism scandal you did by copying and pasting above comment of Dr Okuku from southdudannation,com without acknowledging his ideas.
Therefore Mr Dinka Dominated SPLA/M, I want to inform you that, what you have committed is a very serious offence, could lead you to jail if we are in established country like US, so please make sure you do apologise publicly to Dr Okuku in order to restore your dignity as good citizen of ROSS, or without apology will confirm to us how you are so corrupt, and ignorant.
Adam
Fuel crisis in Unity State relieved by river trade route to Upper Nile
Deng Thiak Adut
Dear Southerners,
I will say there will be no viable RoSS without peace with all, including the GoS. Yes, we have to propagate peace among ourselves, but that needs a lot of courage and self denial.
We have a very hard and painful path to go. But it is very important to:
1. Be realistic and have good relations with the GoS. We can do that by stopping putting our nose in their business (Darfur rebel’s support) and close all pending files as soon as possible. The most important files are SPLM/A in the North (Nuba & Ingasana), Abyei, demarcation of border, oil share, citizenship, dept and assets (including the properties of northern traders), currency, education issues (universities etc).
2. Boost economic ties with the GoS. Make movement of citizens, cattle and trade easy. The 4 freedoms should be approved by both governments. A trade Treaty should be worked out very urgently. Trade with East Africa is not logical or economically feasible.
3. Remove from office all officials who are known to be tribalists, trouble-makers or corrupted like Amoum, Alore, Atem Garang, Luka Beong and their likes.
4. Appoint a balanced and wide-spectrum government which includes all southerners based on competence and experiences. New faces are needed for this crucial historical moment.
5. Write a permanent constitution as soon as possible. The current one is mere dictatorship and one-party state.
6. Minimize the dependence on foreign aid or borrowing. This is so dangerous to our freedom and ownership of our resources.
7. Stop selling our land to international companies. The land belongs to the people.
8. Start building infrastructure and encourage agriculture. Joint agricultural projects with the GoS on the border line should be encouraged.
In fact, we have very difficult road to go. However, we are free and independent, but we need to be careful and thoughtful. Time for emotions and bad feeling should be over. Emotions leads to nothing but more suffering and backwardness.
The people of Sudan are destined to live together. Anyone who is suggesting or working contrary to that is just trying to destroying the hopes of the people – and that will never succeed.
Adam Milawaki, Kuajock
Monydit
Fuel crisis in Unity State relieved by river trade route to Upper Nile
This Nyagat called Taban has never been fully loyal to South Sudanese people, he spends %2 as if it is for his father ( Ibrahim )who owns 2 apartments in Rabek the capital of White Nile State,1 apartment in Khartoum and a mansion for his sister in Khartoum so he does not care whether there is no fuel, food or clean water as the case in Panrieng County whose its citizens fought the war against arabs ( his father relatives ) and Matip, Riek ( his uncles`s militias ).
he is busy filling his account in Khartoum using his father and sister, he has a massive investment in Dubi and owning 2 mansion in Melbourne/Australia with his son driving BMW car. So guys do you really believe that he will do much to the state citizens?.
His uncles moves one step forward and 2 steps backward, they go where there is bread, his uncle Peter Gadet gone, Matip is a walking dead lying in hospital otherwise he would have joint Gadet and his uncle Riek is just waiting for any opportunity to overthrow the President that is why he is opposing 4 years intrim term. The only people who am worried about them are the Dinka group in Western Upper Nile who fought the war and producing more than %80 of oil in the state. He love himself more than any one in the state that was why he left his powerfull ministers to be killed in Bentiu and scaped to Khartoum in 1999 then back to the SPLA when he realised that his uncle Matip was much closer to Bashir more than him.
He fears much that is why he built his mansion in Panaruu territory because he knows that his uncles never stay firm in time of hardship.
I am asking His Excellency the President Salva Kiir to decide the destiny of Panaruu citizens because it clear that they ( Panaruu ) are always the victims in war and peace.