Dream No. 8 Of 10: Booming Trade on the Nation’s Highways "When you see someone sternly warning a new-arrival taking a picture in the arrival lounge at Juba Airport, and Garang’s tomb not yet a friendly tourist attraction – you know those in the driver’s seat don’t get it yet." 17 August 2016
By Alfred Sebit Lokuji A third by-product of these roads criss-crossing the entire South Sudan is the usually un-noticeable phenomenon – goods, services, and travellers moving in both directions! There are the natural-borne traders who have figured out where their markets lie – just as consumers know where to get the best deals. They know what the Toposa need from Mayom, the Agar need from Pibor, the Jikany need from Kajokeji, or the Fertit need from Malakal. This point needs no furthering clarification; it is as sure as the rising of the sun in the east. In fact, towns are not “taken” to the people – simply create the right environment for producers, sellers, and buyers to meet – and you have a town springing up. We will have created such an environment by providing the infrastructural network with power and health services. Our neighbour to the South, where many of my generation were refugees, will be utterly shocked to discover that, unlike South Sudan, it is not the Uganda of the 1960s. Small busy towns have sprung up along the Kampala Gulu road and points beyond. Mseveni’s economic liberalism brings Kenyan, Tanzanian, Congolese, and Ruandan shoppers to Uganda – and no one harasses them at the border or along the roads they travel. With a guaranteed “laissez-passer” policy enforced on the highways, South Sudanese will have the urge to travel from Juba to Pariang, via Terakeka, Leer, Bentiu, and Manga to see the birds that god has ordered to come and find their rest in Unity State. In the process, they will drink tea, eat and sleep along the way – living cash behind. Tembura students, professionals and traders, will want to witness the famed kob migration from the Boma plateau to the Nile. Once more, Didinga tobacco, and Lopa dried cat-fish will find their way to markets westwards, most certainly to Morsak. Children in Yirol, Padak, and Nasir will relish the sweetness of Ezo pineapples. Names such as Kafia Kingi, Moyo Sukun, Shambe, or Owiny Ki Bul will pull the curious to engage in travels of discovery of what is right under their noses. Very few will remain under the same old Nim trees in Juba discussing promotions in the next decrees. Easy and speedy connections to the waters of Lakes, Jonglei and Upper Nile could pull in professional fishermen from around the world for Nile Perch fishing competitions with affordable yet attractive prices. Commerce loves nothing better than the unhindered mobility for raw materials, access to markets, availability of local labour, and user-friendly laws and regulations that bring about a boom to everyone connected, however indirectly. Officialdom has yet to turn positive towards such development. When you see someone sternly warning a new-arrival taking a picture in the arrival lounge at Juba Airport, and Garang’s tomb not yet a friendly tourist attraction – you know those in the driver’s seat don’t get it yet. But we dare dream anyway – that we will see ant-like movement in the human ant-hills of South Sudan – and to our surprise, everyone will be living longer. Posted in: Opinions -- To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/d/forum/southsudankob View this message at https://groups.google.com/d/msg/southsudankob/topic-id/message-id For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/SouthSudanKob. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/SouthSudanKob/CAJb14orovG4HOBo6kgOGmFFxbYt%2Bh-6kLCLY5rC%3D3gaQ6Oj6%2Bw%40mail.gmail.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
