Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior, South Sudan’s vice president in charge of the gender and youth cluster, last week, upon arrival in Juba from Kenya lauded the peaceful dialogue and public debate on the dredging of the Bahr al Ghazal basin.
She said that at the time she left Juba for treatment the debate about the dredging of the Naam River was raging.
“Shortly before I left Juba, the country was engulfed in a vigorous debate regarding the dredging of the Bahr-El Ghazal Basin and the resumption of the Jonglei Canal,” she said. “I believe that such peaceful dialogue is not only healthy for this country’s future, it is also necessary for the democratic decision-making process. Therefore, I applaud the population for astutely and clearly expressing their position.”
“Whenever our citizens question decisions made by any officials or entities of this unity government, the leadership needs to pay close attention,” she added.
Nyandeng said when the government listens to the people; the leaders present a united position with the country’s interests at heart. She said President Salva Kiir has safeguarded the interests of the country by deferring the river dredging exercise until studies are carried out.
“By suspending all dredging activities and directing the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation to conduct fact-finding, and feasibility studies, I believe that President Salva Kiir Mayardit has safeguarded the interest of this country,” she said. “We as a nation must take a step back and ask ourselves vital questions, such as; what are the historical lessons in the current context of the Nile Rivers? Is the resumption of the Jonglei Canal project a priority to the nation now? What are these projects’ social, political, environmental, and economic ramifications?”
“How can South Sudan best protect our environmental and economic interests?” she added.
According to Vice President Nyandeng, without adequately discussing and addressing such questions, the government will be permitting machines and engineers to make long-term changes to the environmental landscape.
“It is also important to note that South Sudan is not an island, and we are a proud member of the Nile Basin Initiative. We have friends and partners who count on us to respect binding international laws and treaties,” she said. “By suspending the dredging and the resumption of the canal, the president has echoed to the Nile Basin Initiative member states our shared responsibility to protect the waters of the Nile.”
She said that the very concept for the establishment of the Nile Basin Initiative was based on the idea that together in partnership; the nations can find ways to address common challenges, such as water security, food security and climate change.
“I know personally how devastating floods have been to communities across the country. These are undoubtedly the worst floods our country has seen in over 60 years,” she said. “My compound in Jonglei state has been submerged in flood waters for nearly two years. I am also aware that some believe the Nile dredging will mitigate the extent of the ongoing flood crisis. However, it is also true that without sufficient information, action can be futile or counterproductive.”
The vice president said tampering with the waters of the Bahr al Ghazal Basin could be detrimental in the long run, resulting in irreversible harm to all who depend on the wetland for the people around the Sudd region.
“For these reasons, I am thankful to the President for heeding the judgment of a great majority of the population and giving a chance for practical data to prevail over indefinite emotion,” she said.
Last month, Unity State authorities received dredging equipment from Egypt for the project on the Naam River, saying it would mitigate the flooding that displaced thousands in the state. This was met with criticism from environmentalists, citizens and activists who said that the plan would result in environmental and economic catastrophe, drying up the country’s Sudd wetlands, which farmers and wildlife rely on.
But senior government officials have argued that the dredging project would help open up rivers for economic activity and help mitigate floods.
On 9 July, President Kiir ordered the suspension of all dredging activities in the country until evidence-based studies are carried out on their impact on surrounding communities. He ordered the Environment ministry to engage experts for the feasibility studies.