At least four excavators have cleaned 12 kilometers of the Naam River section in Unity State from Bentiu town to Guit County since work started last year, an official said.

Unity State Information Minister David Gai on Sunday told Radio Tamazuj that the clearance of the river started last August after the contract was awarded to an Egyptian company in 2022 after the governments of Egypt and South Sudan agreed to clean the Naam River in South Sudan.

“We are happy that the Egyptian company has cleaned 12 km of the river. The cleaning will help us because it is the first of its kind since the arrival of floods four years ago. Boats will start coming in the next three months,” he said. “The communities in the seven counties of Unity State will enjoy easy transportation of commodities from Juba to Bentiu by river when the Egyptian engineers complete cleaning the river.”

Gai added: “The cleaning of Naam River has now reached Thowath Nyonti in Guit County which is 12 Km from Bentiu town.”

Meanwhile, Madet Puok, a resident of Leer County, said the local people are happy with the progress of the ongoing cleaning of the Naam River.

“The community of seven counties is very excited about cleaning 12 Km of the Naam River. The national and state governments came up with the initiative to clean the river. During the rainy season, people cannot travel between Leer County and Bentiu due to inaccessible roads. If there are patients, we could not send them to Bentiu Hospital due to bad roads and because the river was not navigable,” he stated. “When the Naam River is opened, we will enjoy river transport. Our people will also go back to reorganize their home areas like Mayom, Leer, Koch, Guit, Mayiendit, Rubkona, and Panyijiar.”

“I thank the Government of Unity State under the leadership of Governor Dr. Joshep Monytuil for cleaning this important River Naam for us,” Puok added.