Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam with his Southern Sudanese counterpart Minister Pal Mai Deng and Several South Sudanese officials during the inauguration ceremony of the Bahr El Ghazal River Clearing Project in Bentiu in South Sudan on Wednesday 26 June, 2024. Photo courtesy of Egyptian cabinet.
In his speech during the inauguration ceremony, Sewilam stated that Egyptian-South Sudanese relations are deep and extend across all levels.
The cooperation between the two countries in water resources and irrigation spans many years, during which numerous developmental projects that directly benefit the citizens of South Sudan have been implemented.
In addition, Sewilam explained that this project aims to remove aquatic weeds and obstacles from the Bahr El-Ghazal River to improve river navigation and reduce flood risks, thereby enhancing the efficiency of the watercourse.
He also noted that mechanical equipment for the project was purchased with an Egyptian grant and that approximately 15.50 kilometres out of 30 have been cleared to date.
Sewilam then highlighted the tangible outcomes of the clearing process that could be seen today, including opening the river for boats and ships and enabling the citizens to fish along the river.
For his part, Pal Mai Deng praised Egypt's leading role in supporting the water resources sector in South Sudan, emphasizing that this project will significantly improve water resource management in the region and support sustainable development.
Tore Tingwara, Acting Governor of Unity State, expressed his sincere gratitude to the ministers for their coordination, which resulted in the completion of this important project.
Tingwara called for continuing such projects due to their benefits to the citizens, who came in droves to the ceremony to thank the Egyptian government.
A South Sudanese citizen, speaking on behalf of the residents in the project area, praised the project for lowering water levels in areas previously prone to flooding, thus protecting citizens, their homes, and livestock and improving river navigation, which is crucial for the mobility of South Sudanese citizens.
Several ministers in the South Sudanese government attended the project's inauguration along with Moataz Mostafa Abdel-Kader, Egypt's Ambassador to South Sudan; the Chairman of the Agriculture and Water Committee in the South Sudanese Parliament; senior officials from the federal government, Unity State local government representatives; Ministry of Interior officials; and a multitude of citizens.
Sewilam had arrived in Juba on Monday at the head of a high-level technical delegation from the ministry for an official four-day visit.
According to the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, the visit will include technical discussions between the two sides, the inauguration of the prediction centre, and the launch of two projects for cleaning Bahr El-Ghazal and drilling groundwater wells for drinking water.
Furthermore, the visit will include a meeting between Sewilam, the vice president of South Sudan, and several key state leaders.
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