The Council of Ministers, in its regular meeting on Friday, agreed to form a committee to tackle South Sudan`s position on the issue of the usage of the Nile Water.
Addressing journalists in Juba shortly after the meeting, Information Minister Michael Makuei Lueth said the cabinet decided that there should be set up a technical committee to be headed by the Vice President and membership of all the ministries who are concerned in the particular area so that the issue of water is addressed once and for all
He said the committee should come up with a very clear position on the issue of water to clear the position representing the government of South Sudan on the 1927 Nile water usage agreement signed by countries of the Nile Basin on the usage of the Nile water.
Makuei said the agreement gave Egypt 85 percent water of the Nile for usage and Egypt is persuading countries of the Nile to abide by the agreement but the countries are walking away from the agreement saying by then they were not independent.
“They (Egypt) are persuading the countries of the Nile Basin to abide by that agreement. The countries of the Nile Basin are walking out of that agreement, saying by then we were not independent and now we have become independent and we have the right to decide for ourselves all these countries are saying we will use our water the way we want,” Makuei said.
He revealed that the Cooperation Framework Agreement by East Africa on the Nile has already been sent to the and once the parliament adopts South Sudan will walk out of that Egypt Nile Water agreement and will join the East African.
“We are not dancing to that tune that is not the case, by then, what were we? We were not born like South Sudan, even Sudan was not born but they have been using this initiative between Sudan and Egypt and Ethiopia in order to get as much water as they can so that they can irrigate their desert but for us we need to develop and use our water so this is our position,” Makuei said
Federalism conference
Makuei said the cabinet listened to a presentation from the Minister of Federal Affairs, Hon Losuba Lodoru at the national conference on federalism.
He said the Federal Affairs minister and the government had been assigned to study and see how best they will come up with recommendations to the people of South Sudan on the system of Federalism South Sudan needs.
Makuei stressed that the peace agreement says South Sudan shall be a federal system but did not agree as to which type of federalism it will be, so the minister is authorized to search for all the possible available Federal systems so that he can recommend to the people of South Sudan the best federal system.
“He (Federal Minister) asked for funds in order to fund this conference and the amount which he has asked for was 657,106 dollars or its equivalent in SSP. This was amount was passed, the presentation was passed and the request for this sum was passed and the Ministry of Finance is directed to pay this amount from the peace fund which is in our current budget,” Makuei stressed.
He, however, noted that after the availability of that amount then, they will fix a date for the conference.
Humanitarian situation
Makuei said the cabinet tasked the minister of Finance to expedite the payment of approved funds to cater for the transportation of returnees at the border with Sudan.
He said initially, 10 million dollars was approved last year to cater for the flood victims which was not paid and part one 5.3 million dollars approved in May for the transportation of returnees to be made available to the minister for humanitarian affairs so that the returnees are transported to their home areas.
“The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs has been facing a lot of crisis and a lot of pressure these days so far he reported that up to now, the number of South Sudanese who have come back to the South and the refugees or the number of refugees and returnees are more than 200,000 at present out of which they have succeeded so far to transport 80,000 to their respective final destinations however the rest are still hanging over there at the borders and he requested that the government approves the payment that were requested,” Makuei said
“It is worth mentioning that last time floods occurred, we had approved a sum of 10 million dollars and with the influx of refugees and the crisis in Sudan, we had also approved a sum of 5.3 million dollars and all these amounts were not paid yet he had only received the last amount he had received only two million and so he is demanding that the cabinet to direct the minister of finance to pay the balance so that he can complete the transportation of these displaced people or these returnees back home to their respective home areas,” he added.