OPINION: Dredging Naam is another political Netflix, ‘God must be crazy!’ (Part one)
By James Ayiek Bath Acuoth
E-mail; ayiekojames512@gmail.com
The World is like a thick forest over crowded by hunters and targets are scarce. I bet you might have read about King of the jungle (lion) story that ordered all his subjects to hunt for him a meat which is neither from male nor from female creature. The order is absurd and ineptitude, isn’t it?
Maze, (Mr) survival of the fittest is the order in the wild habitat. But unlike the wild beasts, man had depended on the civilization for many decades with human authorities scrambling for the control of natural resources, territorial boundaries, Religious expansion, and above all to free masses from either poverty or marginalization etc.
These developments had brewed wars and guided the World order for the last two centuries in a row. Aided by technological advancement, the World is reduced to a global village, and created communities linked by interests regardless of geographical location, religion or ethnicity.
With the rise and advancement of technology, societies are no longer hermetically seal from man-made disasters. This is the brutal development which is likely to take shape in South Sudan today. The famous Nile River with its tributaries in Sudd-wetlands is not only the main source of livelihood for the Nilotic pastoralists, but it is also the back bone for agricultural production as well as fisheries in South Sudan.
Today, Egypt which lies in the extreme north of African desert strives to exploit water resources in South Sudan in the name of dredging of canal to serve agricultural purpose and hydro-electoral power supply to boost investments back home. Maze! (Mr.) I thought you would like to know the formal respond from lion’s subjects to their King. Read further!
Knowing that, there is no such thing as meat, without its origin from male nor female; the lion’s subjects said this to their king. ‘Sir, we got the meat that is neither from male nor from female.’ However, the condition is that, this meat can neither be delivered at day, nor at night’ period.
If Egypt want to play political Netflix ‘God must be crazy, for granting South Sudan the blessing of natural resources’ then we, the people do agree to let Egypt dredge the canal on the condition that, it must neither be dredge at night nor at day, period. Either way, South Sudan government steps like astronaut in space herniated the hopes to count on them.
Scientifically, dredging would gradually leads to future desertification of Sud-wetlands, and it could also trigger permanent drought because there will be no water vapors that can attract rainfall.
Even if, South Sudan opt for seasonal rainfall, still climate change is another major factor which already imposed natural drought, and it is affecting agricultural production in the Country today.
While, South Sudan is depending majorly on food aid and food import, from her neighbors and the international community. It would be a witch hunt to let Egypt dredge the Naam with Sudd-wetlands for her potential benefits as future of South Sudan diminish.
Economically, dredging will affect the future investment in agriculture, hydro-electoral power in industry, and climate eco-system in term of wild life and tourism. There are so many other consequences involved if the Sudd-wet lands are dredged.
Meanwhile, politically’ Jonglei canal has been one of the factors why South Sudanese took up arms against the North, and Egypt was hostile toward the South on the basis that it support the cause of Arabs. Viewed this way, it is wrong for South Sudan government to neglect its political duties in using water resources for development in the Country.
Socially, Egypt doesn’t have any social ties with South Sudanese to reap mutual benefits on social ground. Instead, Egypt blinded folded the people of South Sudan with empty promises to support education, health, and economic investments.
Since 2010, Egypt claimed to build Alexandria University in Tonj County of Warrap State, as part of Egypt to education in the young Nation. Unfortunately, to this day’s the so called Alexandria University in the defunct Tonj State is like launching a space trip to mars.