Gov’t starts repairing Rubkona-Unity road

BENTIU, NOV. 1, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – The acting governor of South Sudan’s Unity State, Hon. William Dak Koy, has announced that his government has begun the reconstruction of the road connecting Bentiu and Rubkona towns to the Unity oilfields.

Speaking during a meeting with development partners at his office in Bentiu on Wednesday, Dak, who is also the minister of local government and law enforcement agencies, said the road repair was being done to ease the movement of returnees and aid workers after the road was submerged by floods.

“We began main renovation and repairing from Bentiu town to Unity oilfield and up to Rotriak Returnees Camp. It will only take around two weeks to complete the road reconstruction,” said the state government official.

He said that all roads in Unity State were fully submerged by floods in 2022 and that the Bentiu-Unity road was partly submerged and was usable during the dry season, “which is not even dry.”

“Floods submerged all roads. Only the main road to Unity oilfield area was operating seasonally and was in bad condition since June of this year,” said the acting governor.

The senior government official further said that his government has also started repairing the Rubkona-Heglig road that connects northern South Sudan to its war-torn northern neighbor, Sudan.

However, he did not mention how much money is being spent on the construction or who is funding it.

Hon. Dak further said that the submergence of the road has made it difficult for the humanitarian community to deliver food to Rotriak Returnees Camp and for returnees to reach Rubkona and Bentiu towns.

“In August 2023 and September 2023 many children and elderly people were malnourished due to food shortages as there was no means for traders to brought food to Unity State because of flooding,” he said.