Machar’s deputy warns against politicizing, tribalizing dredging initiative

JUBA – South Sudan’s First Deputy Speaker of Transitional National Legislative Assembly, Nathaniel Oyet Pierino, who doubles as the deputy chairman of the main armed opposition SPLM-IO led by FVP Dr. Riek Machar Teny Wednesday cautioned members of the public against politicizing the government dredging initiative.

Speaking during the closing session of the public consultation on Nile water management in Juba on Wednesday, Oyet feared that politicizing cabinet-led projects will let to what he called a “national disaster.”

“There is no need to politicize that matter of national disaster. We have people who are drowning and others have also drowned,” Oyet said during lawmakers’ consultation of Nile Water Management at Freedom Hall on Wednesday.

Oyet said the parliament will not tolerate the politicization of the project.

“For anybody whether in the house or in the public trying to politicize this matter or even tribalize it, will not be tolerated,” said Oyet.

He said floods have destroyed houses, killed cattle, and livestock, and left many people in search of dry ground in most parts of the country.

“We have lost a significant number of cattle, livestock and people have been displaced and some of the floods are in oil-producing areas,” he said.

“We as Parliament will maintain our roles representing the interest of our people and will always do the best for their benefit,” he added.

Last month, the government of Unity State received the first consignment of Egyptian machinery for clearing the Naam River and Bahr El-Ghazal basin.

The decision on the dredging project so far sparked mixed reactions from the public, with some raising concerns the move could inflict irreversible damage on the sudds ecosystem.

Following the events, different government institutions contradicted themselves over the dredging plan aimed to mitigate three years of flooding in the low-lying areas of the country.

The government called on the public to effectively participate in the public consultation on the Nile River projects scheduled for next week.

The government invited national and international experts to make their presentations to the public, legislature and cabinet.

President Salva Kiir Mayardit over the weekend halted the plans that were underway for the dredging of the Nam River “until credible, professional evidence-based studies are carried out on the impact of dredging both on the surrounding communities and their ecosystem.”