Protesters in Bentiu want gov’t to continue with dredging initiative

JUBA – A group of citizens on Thursday staged protest in Unity State’s capital Bentiu to ask the government to go ahead with its initiative to dredge the Nam River of weeds, saying the project will rescue them from floods and will enable return to normal lives.

“We are here to tell the government of South Sudan, I mean the government of Unity State, to go and speak to our President, His Excellency Salva Kiir Mayardit and Dr. Riek Machar and all the Vice President and their ministers that time is running out,” one protester who said he is an activist, said.

“They need to start it, they need to start opening Nam River and Nyingai River so that this flood issue is brought to an end once and for good because people are dying and no one is coming to our help including those making noise at the University of Juba,” the activist said.

Another protest who identified himself as Gatluak challenged those speaking out against the dredging initiative to offer an alternative if they believe that the decision by the government open up rivers would affect the country.

“For those speaking in Juba, especially the ‘learned’ individuals who are speaking out against the initiative let them come with a solution. Don’t criticize or reject anything without offering an alternative,” Gatluak said.

“When you speak out against us the citizen of this area and you don’t offer an alternative, we see it as a mockery to the lives of the people which are being lost every hour in Unity State because of floods and hunger which has come as a consequence of the floods,” he added.