Juba, South Sudan
December 17, 2021 — Lack of adequate fuel is severely affecting drivers and government business in Juba and elsewhere in South Sudan.
Over the last few days, drivers have started voicing concern again over long lines at gas stations in the capital Juba as gas become limited and too expensive to afford.
Speaking to Nyamilepedia this morning, one of the drivers, who identified himself as Lual James, said it’s a serious struggle to get fuel for your car in Juba especially in the last two days.
“We are facing fuel crises at the moment as drivers , you see today I waited for almost two hours just to buy fuel for my car, I don’t know what is going on” James told Nyamilepedia from South Sudanese capital Juba.
“In Juba you can see lot of cars lineup for fuel which is rare to find at many fuel stations in Juba” He said.
He said these challenges have increased in these two days, adding that many fuel stations are empty without fuel.
“These happen just two days ago, before that nothing like that, you can go any nearby petri-station last week and you can buy fuel for your car”, James added.
This comes at a time a Sudanese community in White Nile State has been threatening to shutdown oil pipelines or prevent transportation of chemicals needed in oil production in South Sudan’s Paloch oil fields.
In October the Sudanese community in Jouda area in White Nile State barricaded the roads leading to South Sudan to block trucks carrying oil production chemicals that were destined to Paloch oil fields while demanding provision of education, health services and demarcation of the border between the two countries.
Sources in Juba also attribute the shortage of oil in Juba to foreign oil suppliers, who have monopolized South Sudan oil trade market, in order to hike up prices.
According to a senior official, who refused to be cited due to fear of reprisal, South Sudan government awarded oil supply contracts to major foreign companies that are trading in fuel to supply the capital Juba and other major towns; however, these companies usually hood their supplies whenever the Bank of South Sudan fail to give them hard currency(U.S. Dollar) to purchase the fuel from the neighboring countries.
