South Sudan plans major trade fair in August
May 17, 2006 (NAIROBI) — Southern Sudan will host an international trade fair in August to showcase investment opportunities in the vast region created by the landmark Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which ended more than two decades of civil war, organizers said on Wednesday.
The Southern Sudan Trade Fair and Reconstruction Exhibition which will take place in Juba, the capital, from August 10-12 willalso seek ways of tapping immense business opportunities in the region, unlocked by last year’s signing of the landmark peace agreement between Khartoum government and southern rebels.
The exhibition, organized by the Bread of Life Africa (BOLA) and supported by the Government of Southern Sudan will review recent economic developments and the challenges of the peace agreement in relation to investments, Malei Nthiwa, BOLA’s ProgramDirector said by telephone in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.
Malei said the Trade Fair to showcase investment opportunities available for investors from Africa, Europe and the United States will focus on how potential investors can maximize existing opportunities in Southern Sudan’s oil, gas and power sectors.
“This is a follow up to our recent investment conference held in Nairobi. We expect businessmen from Africa, Europe and United States,” Malei said.
According to Malei, the Trade Fair would coincide with the celebrations to mark the first anniversary of the death of former SPLM leader John Garang who died last year in a plane crash.
He said the President of the Southern Sudan government Salva Kiir Mayardit, who is also Sudan’s First Vice President, will preside over the opening session of the international trade fair.
Sudan’s southern government, in need of billions of U.S. dollars to rebuild a region deprived of roads, water and power after what was Africa’s longest running civil war, is trying to attract investors to drill the oil and gas there.
“The Trade Fair and Exhibition will offer a unique opportunity to bring together businessmen and decision makers from both sides of the investment equation in Southern Sudan to put in place strategies for long-term sustainable development in the power, roads infrastructure and agricultural sectors,” Malei said.
The southern government, led by former guerrillas, has acknowledged it had a lot to prove to investors wary of financial risk and sporadic bursts of insecurity in the region, half the size of Western Europe.
Malei said Kiir would give a review of the investment climate in the Southern Sudan and explain to the potential investors how the CPA and its implementation impacts on the energy and infrastructure developments in the South.
“Southern Sudan is ready for investments from across Eastern Africa, with its rich natural resources and available raw materials suitable for the sustainable growth of the manufacturingsectors in both the Sudan and the entire Eastern Africa,” Malei said.
“The Trade Fair and Exhibition is a window for businesses, which are anxious to learn about investment and trade opportunities arising from Southern Sudan, but who have very little information by which they can rationally assess risks and opportunities, to learn more about Sudan,” he said.
Since the signing of the CPA, the businesses have taken a wait-and-see attitude towards investments in the Southern Sudan, mostlybecause of the negative perception about the region’s ability to give returns.
The CPA defines most aspects of business operations in the Southern Sudan which will remain completely autonomous on matter pertaining to foreign and local investments.
The Southern Sudanese officials will explain to the potential investors how the CPA and its implementation impacts on the energyand infrastructure developments in the South.
(Xinhua/ST)