(JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN) – South Sudan’s military engineering division has held talks with the Ministry of Roads and Bridges on strengthening military participation in national infrastructure development, focusing on road construction, maintenance and flood-affected areas.
The South Sudan People’s Defence Forces Engineering Division made the proposal during a courtesy visit to the ministry.
Division Commander Maj. Gen. Keer Kiir Keer said the military’s role extends beyond combat operations and stressed its capacity to contribute to development projects.
The ministry’s Undersecretary, Eng. James Alam Ohurey, welcomed the initiative and expressed readiness to revive an existing Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate cooperation on road construction, maintenance and specialised infrastructure projects.
Deputy Commander Maj. Gen. Manhiem Bol Malek called for the Engineering Division to be considered for road rehabilitation and maintenance in strategic and flood-affected areas, including bridge works, with support from community-based labour programmes.
The proposed partnership aims to use military engineering expertise to support road maintenance and improve infrastructure delivery across South Sudan.
The move follows long-standing calls from within the army for a greater role in infrastructure contracts. At a national economic conference in 2023, SSPDF general Dr Pierre Atilio-Ekwa said the army’s engineering corps had the expertise and capacity to carry out construction work but was only awarded security contracts while civil companies received the road building deals .
The SSPDF Engineering Corps has previously taken part in road works, including bush clearance for the Juba-Lainya-Kaya road in Central Equatoria State in 2022 alongside a subcontracted civil company.
The SPLA Act 2009, which governs the army, mandates the SSPDF to participate in reconstruction activities in South Sudan, consistent with the constitution and the law.
