South Sudan faces immense challenges across its governance and infrastructure, and this is acutely visible on its roads. After years of civil conflict and ongoing inter-communal violence (which escalated into 2025), a culture of discipline and compliance necessary for road safety has severely eroded. High rates of traffic accidents, often involving fatalities, are a constant problem, largely attributed to erratic driver behavior, poor road conditions, and weak Traffic Enforcement. Rebuilding Post-Conflict Road Safety requires a deliberate, multi-faceted strategy focused on retraining personnel and instilling a public safety culture from the ground up.
The urgency of addressing this issue is magnified by the influx of returnees and displaced persons, which further strains Juba Traffic and the limited road network.
The Two Pillars: Education and Professionalization
Effective Post-Conflict Road Safety must address both the lack of institutional capacity and the prevalence of high-risk driving habits.
1. Professionalizing Traffic Enforcement
The South Sudan National Police Service (SSNPS), with support from bodies like the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), is actively trying to rebuild public trust and competence. A key development in 2025 has been the graduation of batches of retrained police officers specifically focused on traffic control, safety compliance, and community policing. This move aims to professionalize the force, ensuring that Traffic Enforcement is consistent, respectful, and focused on genuine safety issues—moving away from allegations of corruption or arbitrary checkpoints. Recent directives (October 2025) mandating the removal of unauthorized tinted windows are part of a broader, sustained effort to enforce traffic laws and enhance overall Post-Conflict Road Safety.
2. Tackling Unlicensed and Reckless Driving
A significant contributor to accidents is the high number of Unlicensed Drivers, particularly among boda-boda (motorcycle taxi) operators. Despite traffic police drives in various counties in late 2025 to enforce vehicle licensing and registration, many operators cite economic hardship as a barrier to compliance. Effective Driver Education must accompany these enforcement drives, focusing not just on fees but on the life-saving necessity of obeying basic traffic rules (like seatbelt use, which is mandatory but often ignored) and Maîtrise de la Vitesse—speeding remains a top cause of fatal accidents, as evidenced by 2023 statistics from Wau.
Infrastructure and Legal Challenges
The success of Post-Conflict Road Safety is inherently linked to improved infrastructure. While projects like the UN-supported construction of Feeder Roads help improve mobility, the overall condition of roads remains poor and contributes to accidents.
Moreover, while South Sudan has existing motor vehicle laws regulating registration, licensing, and traffic violations, the challenge lies in the inconsistent and sometimes ambiguous enforcement, which affects both local and foreign drivers. For the heavy volume of Transport Longue Distance carrying humanitarian aid and commercial goods, arbitrary judgments and non-tariff barriers along major routes are constant threats to safety and trade. Addressing these systemic gaps through clearer communication of laws and supporting mechanisms for Driver Education is vital.
The long-term goal for Post-Conflict Road Safety is to transition to a culture where safety is intrinsic, driven by community awareness and consistently applied, professional Traffic Enforcement. For organizations and individuals operating vehicles in this challenging environment, reliable procurement and vehicle maintenance are critical, a need often serviced through regional specialists like Auto24.
Which is the single most critical step toward sustainable Post-Conflict Road Safety in South Sudan: the professionalization of Traffic Enforcement police, or mass public campaigns focused on Driver Education for Unlicensed Drivers? Share your thoughts below!
