Sudanese goods start arriving in Abyei after coup

ABYEI – The commissioner of Ameth Aguok in the Abyei Administrative Area on Thursday said transit goods vehicles have started arriving from neighboring Sudan to the Amiet market in Abyei after three weeks of political upheavals in Sudan, Radio Tamazuj reports.

Commissioner Nyok Deng Rou of Ameth Aguok County Radio Tamazuj that the Amiet market and its environs experienced scarcity of goods in the last month.

“The security situation is good only that Amiet market experienced unavailability of goods for three weeks when the Sudanese Supreme Council differed among themselves, but thank God, goods from Sudan started arriving on Tuesday and today (Wednesday) to Amiet market,” Commissioner Deng said.

He added, “During the rainy season, there are challenges of water on the road making it difficult for movement of big trucks and there were bandits on the road who attempted to rob traders in the last two days but UNISFA patrols intervened and rescued them and their goods along the Amiet road.”

Meanwhile, Osman Chol, the chairperson of the Abyei chamber of commerce confirmed that goods started arriving from Sudan but that the prices of food commodities remained high in the Amiet market.

“Before the Sudanese issue, there was the problem of Port Sudan which led to increased commodity prices,” Chol said. “50 kg of flour was at 9,000 SSP but increased to 22,000 SSP while 50 kg of Sugar jumped from 17, 000 SSP to about 24,000SSP and the rest of items also increased.”

He said that they had to shift to the Juba-Wau road to import sugar, flour, and drugs which helped mitigate the situation but that traders complained about multiple taxation and levies on the southern route.

“Yes, lorries are coming from Sudan and as you know this is the beginning of November and December is coming, our traders from Sudan concentrate on clothes and other Christmas materials and so the prices of food items is still high,” Chol said.