Police fires tear gas into striking drivers at Elegu border

(magazine.feaffa.com)

ELEGU | POLICE | TRUCK DRIVERS

The police on Tuesday fired tear gas and gunshots to disperse truck drivers from the East African region who had parked their vehicles in a strike protesting multiple levies and what they termed as constant extortion by security personnel in South Sudan. 

On the Ugandan side of the South Sudan-Uganda border, the long-distance drivers had parked more than 400 trucks at Elegu but refused to cross to Nimule and continue on to Juba.

As the number increased, the police in control at Elegu decided to speak with the drivers.

The police at the border contacted the drivers on Monday, according to David Ongom Mudong, spokesman for the Aswa River Region Police. On Tuesday, he attempted to call for updates but was unable to do so.

In a shared video, the police officers were seen engaging the drivers and asking them to calm down, saying they had engaged their counterparts in South Sudan, who were supposed to cross and meet the striking drivers on Wednesday, January 11, 2023.

The strike allegedly started on January 09, 2023, but the police got concerned when they realized that the drivers had blocked other vehicles.

Through negotiations, the drivers accepted to clear the route for other motorists but the situation became tense when the number shot up, with drivers and their turnboys demanding that the Ugandan authorities intervene. 

Asadu Ssentongo, one of the transporters leaders who was at the scene said all was still well and the drivers were waiting for Wednesday as had been promised when the police brought the anti-riot police and started firing teargas.

He explained that the police ordered the drivers to clear the place, although the drivers had resisted saying they did not want to be forced to enter a country they termed as unfriendly. 

Ssentongo said that after their intervention, the police stopped but several drivers had reluctantly been forced to cross the border into South Sudan.

He said between 150 and 200 trucks on Tuesday were forced to cross into South Sudan, although almost the same number was still parked. 

“After talking to the police, they listened to us and they have stopped their move to force drivers to enter South Sudan by force, this is not the first time that we are doing this whenever we have our grievances,” Ssentongo explained. 

He however said some drivers had been arrested by the police at Elegu for 9interferring with police work and their leaders were still trying to negotiate for their release.

Three other drivers including one Ugandan, James Kyankicoi had been arrested and detained at Nimule after they were arrested by the police in South Sudan for causing accidents.

These drivers were allegedly being detained with chains on their legs, which fellow drivers protested. 

William Busuulwa, the chairman of Uganda National Transport Alliance said before the strike, there had been several engagements with stakeholders to respond to complaints by drivers from the rest of the East African Community partner states against South Sudan.

He said many drivers complained that they are slapped with unexplained charges and whoever fails to pay is detained.

“Many drivers are detained at Nimule and one has to buy his way out,” he explained. 

He appealed to the Ugandan authorities to intervene since the rest of the EAC countries removed visas and other levies against transporters.

He said starting January 2023, the government of South Sudan introduced new levies on all trucks entering the country, which many drivers have protested.

He said each truck that enters South Sudan through Nimule is required to pay $70 plus other charges, and the officers demanding the fees do not issue receipts.

“If you ask for a receipt, they instead target you, and many times you get arrested,” he said.