![Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) Edmund Yakani. [Photo courtesy]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/maxresdefault.jpg?ssl=1)
In his Independence Day speech on Saturday, President Salva Kiir Mayardit said he was suspending the government initiative until when credible feasibility and risk assessment studies are conducted by the government and third parties.
“To allow our citizens to participate in the consultation process without emotions, I am today freezing any planned dredging activities in the SUDD Region until credible, professional evidence-based studies are carried out on the impact of dredging both on the surrounding communities and their ecosystem,” Kiir said.
“To this effect, I am directing the Ministry of Environment and Forestry to initiate the process of identifying and eventually hiring credible experts who will carry out the said feasibility study,” the South Sudanese president added.
In reaction, the Executive Director of CEPO Edmund Yakani welcomed the decision by the president and urged the minister of environment and forestry to carry out the study in a professional manner so that it is done with no mistakes that may affect the results of the study.
“CEPO welcomes the president’s suspension of the River dredging project and the mandate given to the minister of environment to undertake professional study through independent firm. This is remarkable decision made by the president,” Yakani told Sudans Post in an email.
“We appreciate him for this and hope that the ministry of environment will undertake the assignment professionally without any political interference,” he added.
He said that the project should not be a priority for the government now and said that it is in the best interest of Egypt.
“The River dredging initiative is not our national priority now and it is a total interest of Egypt. No way can we allow our generations to be sold out for short term gain,” he added.
