18 soldiers arrested over illegal checkpoints along Juba-Nimule highway

JUBA – At least eighteen members of South Sudan organized forces have been arrested along the Juba-Nimule highway by South Sudan National Police Service (SSNPS) for mounting illegal road checkpoints along the risky Juba-Nimule highway, according to Director General of South Sudan Customs Service General Akol Ayii Madut.

This comes days after the customs service authorized law enforcement agencies to clear illegal checkpoints from the border town of Nimule, to Northern Bahr el Ghazal state’s capital Wau after East Africa truckers threatened to boycott goods delivery to the war-torn South Sudan following highway killings.

Speaking during a morning interview with the Juba-based Eye Radio on Tuesday, General Madut said 18 members of the organized forces were found mounting illegal checkpoints and collecting money illegal from travelers along the busy Juba-Nimule highway and said they have been transported to Juba, being investigated and will be arranged in court.

“We arrested 18, they are now in Buluk police headquarters awaiting their trial in court. Some are forces from the sister security agents and others are members of the police force,” the senior interior ministry official said.

“We have set a team to take those officers in the various organized forces courts, on military bases. On Friday the team is sitting to make a decision,” he added.