Egypt has no objection to dam projects in South Sudan, envoy
June 25, 2013 (JUBA) – The Egyptian government said it had “no objection” to the building of the proposed hydroelectric dams in South Sudan, denying media reports to the contrary.
While briefing the acting President of South Sudan Riek Machar Teny on the position of the Arab Republic of Egypt on the plan by the new country to build Fulla hydroelectric dam along the White Nile in Nimule of Eastern Equatoria state, he said his country had no objection at all.
The Egyptian diplomat refuted media reports quoting South Sudanese officials as saying that the Egyptian government might have objected to the Fulla Dam project, fearing a similar row between Egypt and Ethiopia over the renaissance dam which Ethiopia wants to build along the Blue Nile.
Egypt currently has the lion’s share of the volume of the River Nile waters among the ten member-states of the Nile Basin due to an agreement it secured several decades ago.
Egypt sees its survival upon the waters of the River Nile and has all been trying to dictate terms on the usage of the water.
Other member states such as Ethiopia and Uganda have been however pushing for review of the water shares, demanding equal right for every member of the Nile Basin countries.
The vice president, who acts as his president Salva Kiir is on a three-day visit to Botswana since Monday, assured of the feasibility study done on the Fulla Dam, saying this will not harm Egypt as it will be within the share of the water volume for South Sudan.
Ambassador Elgammal assured Machar that Egypt had no problem with South Sudan’s proposal to build the dams along the River Nile.
(ST)