Transit cargo in the East African region has been severely disrupted, after the Long Distance Drivers and Conductors Association ordered an immediate halt to all cargo bound for South Sudan.
Citing dangerous congestion and escalating safety concerns at the Elegu border, the association said drivers are now exposed to heightened safety risks, deteriorating conditions, and increasing uncertainty.
“The situation has reached a breaking point. Infrastructure at Elegu can no longer safely accommodate additional trucks. Continued dispatch of cargo toward the border will only deepen the gridlock, escalate risk to drivers, and further destabilize operations along the corridor,” they said in a statement.
The directive comes as an ongoing industrial action along the northern transport corridor entered its tenth day yesterday, effectively paralyzing cross-border freight movement.
According to the association, trucks have piled up beyond capacity, with holding and parking areas fully saturated and vehicles spilling into surrounding zones, worsening the gridlock.
South Sudanese media outlet reported the deadlock of about 1,000 trucks, causing a more than 16-km traffic jam, triggering shortage of basic commodities in Juba and across the country.
LoDDCA, the representative body for the drivers, now says all transporters, clearing agents, and drivers should immediately suspend loading and dispatch of cargo destined for South Sudan until further notice.
The directive effectively freezes a vital trade artery linking the two countries, with direct implications for supply chains and regional commerce.
While the situation has blocked traffic to and from Uganda and South Sudan, many of the Kenyan cargo trucks use the northern Ugandan corridor through the Elegu-Nimule-Juba route.
The association stressed that no movement will resume until safety, security, and operational conditions are restored through clear and enforceable measures.
The drivers are striking over a combination of long-standing grievances, which include persistent insecurity along the South Sudan corridor and the proliferation of illegal checkpoints.
They are also alleging cases of extortion by security agents in South Sudan, and repeated arrests of drivers operating along the route.
The trigger of the protest was. an attack on a truck driver after he was stopped at an illegal roadblock by some security personnel on the Nimule-Juba highway on April 28.
The driver was pronounced dead at a hospital. Another driver was attacked at the Nimule border town in South Sudan on the same day.
They have termed this a violation of their December 2024 agreement between truck drivers, Ugandan, and South Sudanese authorities.
Isaac Kabataazi, the vice chairperson of truck drivers in Uganda, said the deal was done to stop erecting illegal roadblocks, collection of illegal fees, harassment, and imposing of taxes that violate the regional protocols.
“We want the South Sudanese authorities to implement the previous agreement we signed with them to ensure that the roads are free of illegal road blocks and also halt new levies,” he said last Friday.
