By Tereza Jeremiah Chuei
The first Vice President Dr. Riek Machar yesterday asked South Sudanese to decide on the use of their water resources management.
He made the remark as citizens called on the government to hold a public debate on dredging of River Naam, and the rumored resumption of Jonglei Canal.
These two core issues had sparked mixed reactions from the citizens after hearing that, some of the government official allegedly agreed to the dredging of River Naam and the resumption of the Jonglei Canal.
In his remarks at the public consultation on the Nile water management yesterday, Dr. Machar said there should not be any external factors and prejudice on the issues of the water resources in the country.
He stressed that relation with other countries should be based on nation to nation interest.
“When we make our decision not on any external factors, not also on any prejudice against any nation but our national interest, this has to be clear,” he said.
“It’s hope our expert will address themselves to issue of development, to issue of management and to issue of controlling the water resources in the country but since the focus is flooding, dredging and clearance or cleanup with the prospective of trying to mitigate floods, this is important by itself but is it enough dredging the rivers, this is an issue to debated,” he added.
The first VP had earlier said there is nothing wrong with resumption of Jonglei Canal which was a project of the then Sudan and Egyptian.
“So Now the one who are supposed to complain if there are too much water, will get into flooding are the people from Sudan, because their land is a low land like ours, so if we finish the digging of the Jonglei Canal, we will have doors / guides, that close it and open, and if you have the ship that need to pass there you can open it and then close,” he stated.