UNMISS engineers rebuild bridge along the Upper Nile West Bank

4 Apr 2019

UNMISS engineers rebuild bridge along the Upper Nile West Bank

Janet Adongo

During the rainy season in Kodok, a town located along the volatile West Bank in the Upper Nile region of South Sudan, it’s not unusual to see fish and crocodiles floating around far away from their home in the Nile.

As in many other parts of the country, intense rains and flooding bring everything to a halt. Residents fear venturing out and having to cross waist-deep waters to access services – and possibly encounter large, amphibian reptiles in the process.

Because of this, as well as the need to establish a permanent base in Kodok for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, Peacekeeping engineers based in Malakal have worked tirelessly to rebuild a major bridge linking the town to neighbouring villages miles away.

“When it’s dry, like now, you don’t see any use for the bridge except for people with vehicles. However, when it rains, this will be the only way in and out of town,” says the Kodok County Commissioner, Mr. Kimo Olay.

The functional bridge will now also enable the movement of heavy machinery required to build a permanent base there. The closest UN presence is currently in Malakal, 50 kilometres away.

Major Matt Clarke, commanding officer of the UK engineering taskforce, gives an insight into their work in the region.

“We have been working alongside the Indian army in Kodok, carrying out major repairs to a bridge that connects the town to several nearby villages.  Our work [to build a permanent base] here will enable the UN to improve security and the delivery of humanitarian assistance,” he says.

Kodok is the ancestral capital of the Shilluk tribe, the third largest ethnic group in the country, and an area which has seen a great deal of fighting since South Sudan gained independence in 2011.

Last year’s revitalized peace agreement has slowly improved the security situation, to the extent that the King of the Shilluk people has recently chosen to return to his homeland. More displaced persons are expected to follow suit.