Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hossam Maghazy said Egypt and South Sudan are launching an international fundraising campaign for a multipurpose dam in the city of Wau, the capital of the Western Bahr al-Ghazal state, after Egypt sponsored a feasibility study for South Sudan.
At a ceremony in Western Bahr al-Ghazal, Maghazy said it was agreed to organize an international conference soon in the capital Juba and invite international donors, investors and companies specialized in the construction of dams, adding that Egypt is willing to train cadres so as to build a specialized engineering department for the construction of dams at the Ministry of Water, Electricity and Dams in South Sudan.
The two sides agreed to hold community dialogue sessions among the people of the city of Wau and the neighboring cities that would be affected by the work in order to explain why a few trees and bushes would be removed and clarify the positive yield of the dam.
Maghazy said the dam, including the electricity generating units, would cost US$1.2 billion, adding that the project provides more than 10,000 jobs for the unemployed youth. “A village will be established to accommodate them during the work,” he said.
He said that in response to the visit of President Salva Kiir to Cairo in August, 30 officials and experts of the Egyptian ministries of water resources, agriculture, education, foreign affairs and culture are now in South Sudan for four days to present development projects that provide basic needs to citizens in disadvantaged areas.
Maghazy signed with his counterpart of South Sudan four protocols on Thursday for cooperation in education, agriculture, irrigation and culture. They also agreed to establish meat, fish and poultry farms and a model farm on 100 acres for the latest irrigation systems.
South Sudan’s Water and Electricity Minister Jemma Nunu Kumba thanked Egypt for the feasibility study and said the friendship between Egypt and South Sudan will be eternal.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
