“Black Egyptians”: South Sudanese berate government officials over river dredging controversy

JUBA – South Sudanese citizens have lambasted their leaders for putting Egyptian interest above their own citizens’ welfare, with a section of them describing senior government officials and those supporting the government dredging initiative as “Black Egyptians” who have been sent by Egypt to sell the dredging project to their people.

In June, South Sudan government announced the arrival of heavy river dredging machines to Unity State’s capital Bentiu in preparation to clean river of weed and mud that has been blamed by the local community there of impeding water flow causing devastating floods that has affected 80 percent of the population in Unity State.

The citizens responded with anger protesting the government decision to go on with a dredging initiative with no credible feasibility study done at all, forcing President Kiir to order halt to all river dredging-related activities along the Nile and the conduct of a public consultation process to put together the opinion of the leaders.

But senior government officials such as First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny, Vice President for Economic Cluster, James Wani Igga, Vice President for Infrastructure Taban Deng Gai and information minister Michael Makuei Lueth, downplayed impact of dredging-related activities, saying the dredging process is not a new thing to take place along the River Nile.

In reaction, the citizens castigated the senior government officials with some calling them “Black Egyptians” and that they are putting above citizens’ welfare the interest of Egypt which the citizens say had sided with Sudan during the liberation struggle.

“The Black Egyptians are now furious because of an initiative they initiated themselves. If you know that you will oppose the outcome of the public consultation process ordered by a presidency that you are part of, why wasting money in the first place,” one citizen who requested not to be named told Sudans Post at Suk Juba.

Another citizen says that she fears the four senior government officials are the one paid directly by Egypt to sale the dredging process to the people, saying the Egyptian are aware that the ordinary South Sudanese won’t accept the idea.

“These are the very people I fear might have been paid by Egypt. The Arabs are aware very well that we the ordinary citizens in this country will not accept the idea of digging away our water, and that’s why they paid and send our leaders to sell the idea to us as if it is a home initiative when it is in fact a foreign project in our country,” she said, without identifying herself.

A Facebook user wrote in the comment section and asked that: “What is wrong with water? Is South Sudan the only country in the world that has flood destruction? Flood is manageable if we are real nationalist. Water is life; we can create lakes to reserve our own water for our wildlife and agriculture. We have a land to do whatever we wanted to do. Don’t steal your own food.”