South Sudan, Ethiopia sign security cooperation agreement

August 16, 2022 (JUBA) – South Sudan and Ethiopia on Tuesday signed a security agreement committing the two countries to promote bilateral relations on numerous issues that do not compromise safety and security.

A number key security and law enforcement officials participated in the signing agreement which took place in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

South Sudan’s security affairs advisor, Tut Gatluak Manime said the newly signed agreement commits the two countries to exchange information, conduct exchange visits, and enhance training capacity building and information on Immigration, counter-terrorism and border crossing crimes.

“We conveyed the message of assurance of unflinching cooperation and coordination of issues of mutual concerns and benefit to the citizens of the two countries and to promote peace and security in the region as part of their commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the region,” he said.

Manime did not divulged details on the memorandum of understanding signed by heads of security and immigration officials from the two countries.

He, however, stressed that the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) will not have a negative impact on the downstream countries and is instrumental for regional energy integration.

“We have seized this opportunity to visit the construction site of GERD and proved the dam has not had any negative impact,” Manime told ENA.

The GERD, formerly known as the Millennium Dam, is a gravity dam on the Blue Nile River in Ethiopia under construction since 2011. The $4 billion hydropower project, is crucial to powering its economic development, yet Egypt and Sudan consider it a serious threat to their vital water supplies.

The South Sudanese official said the dam is going to have its lion’s share for the integration of the East African region through the supply of electricity.

“After witnessing the GERD’s construction site, we found that the dam is a large project and can provide all neighbouring countries with electricity….we have really seen a very big job,” he further stressed.

Ethiopia’s Defense minister, Abraham Belay said the new dam would not only benefit Ethiopians, but people in its neighboring countries as well.

“The dam we are building is not only for Ethiopia but also for Africa. Rumours about the dam and the reality on the ground are totally different. The countries of the river basin should also understand that this dam ensures mutual benefit. For instance, our Grand Renaissance Dam has two bottom-outlets for the purpose of downstream countries so that they can get water in the entire year,” he said.

Belay, also the GERD Board of Directors chair, further pointed out that the Horn of Africa nation has started supplying electricity to Sudan and Djibouti.

Plans, he added, are underway to start to supplying electricity to Kenya.

For his part, however, the Director General of Ethiopia’s National Intelligence and Security Service, Temeseng Tiruneh said Ethiopia had successfully generated power from the GERD and completed third filling.

“Until this project reached at this significant juncture, numerous attacks were tried by bandits sent from abroad. With this, we were able to thwart many evil deeds of destructive forces”, he told ENA.

Tiruneh further said that the construction of the GERD has been a testimony for Africans that they could use their resources on their own capacity.

Ethiopia has long been a key partner in the Juba administration, with many South Sudanese leaders receiving training and spending significant time in Addis Ababa.

(ST)