EAC States Urged to Provide Joint Security Escorts for Truck Drivers at Border Points

PUBLISHED ON September 7th, 2021

EAC States Urged to Provide Joint Security Escorts for Truck Drivers at Border Points

Insecurity has been on the rise at EAC’s border points causing a cross-border trade standoff
East African Business Council says a regional joint army patrol for escorting and protecting truck drivers would beef up security at border points
The move would also ease and facilitate transportation of essential goods between partner states

The East African Community (EAC) has been urged to provide joint security escorts for cargo trucks in the region amid the cross-border trade standoff due to security concerns.

A truck parked along the road. — A large articulated semi truck with blue shipping container parked at the roadside in rural Kenya with trees, dirt roads and a crossing goat in the foreground. Photo: Getty Images.
Source: Getty Images

In a statement seen by TUKO.co.ke, the East African Business Council (EABC) CEO John Bosco Kalisa said a joint regional army patrol would be a quick solution to guarantee peace and security for truck drivers, business people and their properties.

“The move would also ease and facilitate transportation of essential goods, even as partner states continue to battle the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” Kalisa said.

The recommendation comes weeks after two Kenyan truck Drivers were murdered while heading to Juba, South Sudan.

This was not the first time a joint army patrol for escorting and protecting truck drivers has been floated as a security bolstering suggestion in the community.

According to the East African Business Council (EABC), the governments of South Sudan and Uganda implemented the move in April 2021 to curb insecurity in the Nimule-Juba border.

“EABC therefore urges the ministries in charge of interstate security to adopt a regional monitoring mechanism to analyse, monitor progress and emerging issues on trade and security in the region,” the council urged.

Data by the council indicates that over 1,056 trucks are stranded at the Elegu border due to cases of insecurity in South Sudan, especially along the Nimule/Elegu border route to Juba currently,

Each day a truck is stranded to deliver goods, the transporter and client incur losses of approximately US$ 1, 000 (KSh 110,053). Furthermore, the release costs for truck drivers who have fallen victim to the insecurity assaults range between US$ 10,000 (KSh 1.1 million) to US$ 20,000 (KSh 2.2 million) and sometimes their precious life,” EABC said in the statement.

The EABC stated that for businesses to reap the benefits availed by the EAC Common Market of 177 million consumers, peace and security should be guaranteed.

The EAC Trade and Investment Report 2019 reveals that South Sudan exported goods worth US$ 6.8 million (KSh 748.4 million) and imported US$ 25.9 million (KSh 2.8 million) from the EAC partner states in 2019.

During the same year, intra-regional exports grew by 0.6% in 2019 to US$ 3.2 billion (KSh 352.2 billion) while total EAC intra-regional imports increased to US$ 3.2 billion (KSh 352.2 billion) in 2019, from US$ 2.8 billion (KSh 308.1 billion) in 2018.

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