Opinion: Dredging River Naam Is a Political Conspiracy Solely on the Nuer People of Bentiu

By Mak Banguot Gok (Makjohnson)

June 19, 2022 — South Sudan Ministry of Water Resource and Irrigation (SS-MWI) has been caught up in an extreme confusion. It seems like it entered into a business which its origins premeditated without regards to the effect on the ground.  It is one of the historical mistakes compared to the unilateral split of South Sudan’s internal administrative boundaries (political maps) from ten States to thirty_two States once by Salva Kiir. The worst part of this conspiratorial initiative was that it has been an attempt to permanently carve up the nation’s portion of natural resources for individual benefits. As a result of the mounting public outcry after physically arriving at the scene of the Egyptians being exploited, the minister of Water Resource and Irrigation (Hon. Manawe Peter Gatkuoth) and his subordinates have botched in providing a clear gen to the people of South Sudan about what convinced them in accepting such a humiliated submission.

With extreme dismay, I have read what has been published on the 8th, of June, 2022 by the office of Minister as Press Statement on the arrival on the 1st of June, 2022 of 21 trucks loaded with Egyptian Dredging equipment to Unity State. The most important part of the published public notification was that, in the statement, the Honorable minister’s Press Secretary failed to highlight the people of South Sudan on (for example the legal base of this exploitive project? What type of dredging of River Naam is taking place? What was so special for the dredging project this time? And why did the dredging project begin in the heart of Nuer land (Unity State)?

Basically, what the Egyptians mean by dredging River Naam as in a layman’s understanding, it’s an excavation activity of the rivers and lakes in South Sudan. That process involves the removing of sediment from a river, or lakebed and depositing it at a new location. This is what is intended to take place at the historic River Naam located between Mayom and Rubkona Counties of the Unity States Western Nuer land. And, to put into the context of damaging the River Naam marine mammals, what do you think will happen when for example, the risk assessments have never been carried out by both the South Sudan Ministry of Water Resource and Irrigation and the Egyptians government before the dredging? And above all, when the dredging activities regulations and policies are not considered first and, therefore the dredging will be perform without prior preparation on how well it will be managed, don’t you think the reduction in prey numbers is likely going to be high enough and that, it will have substantially a negative impacts on the usefulness of River Naam and, particularly on the Nuer population-level?

Surprisingly,  the only cheapest justification for such performance allegedly by the same ministry of Water Resource and Irrigation are: (1) To ensure that, rivers in South Sudan are navigable for transporting Petroleum products from refinery (where?) to address the local consumption in this current global-fuel crisis (which global?) And, (2) to respond to the flooding. These assertions are nonsense when we look into the damaging consequences depending on a number of factors, including vessel type, the speed of the motive, the location of the project, the species that are being targeted, and indeed, the behavior of those conspirators.

In fact, this project is ecologically not important for the people of South Sudan and, particularly for the River Naam ‘aquatic habitats such as its sea-grass beds and coral reefs. It is a dangerous intent that, if implemented, will definitely result in the death of a northern Unity State (part of western Nuer land) right whale. That means, the fishes and other mammals that will be particularly sensitive to the change and/or are at high risk from such projected dredging are very important to the people of this country in general and, the Nuer of Unity State in particular.

Am not an expert in marine dredging in spawning areas and how it can affect the survival rate of an organism. But, through available consulting literature, this piece of my writing aims at the expansion of South Sudanese people’s understanding of the existing knowledge about the direct and indirect negative impacts of an unnecessary dredging of River Naam. Am hereby sharing on it can affect the marine ‘life (such as, the losses of its habitats as a direct result of the proposed dredging which will be substantial). Addition to these, there is enough evidence of the necessary exposure of the South Sudanese for the toxins and pollutants as a result of dredging processes.

That means, according to an expert in this scientific study, it’s true that, over time, the sediments accumulate toxins and pollutants such as hydrocarbons and heavy metals. Nevertheless, what is regarded as a dredging disturbance of sediments (example of the River Naam), can release contaminants into the Nile water column. And, with this, they (experts) argue that it has the potential to change the chemical properties of the sediment, and reduce Nile water quality at both extraction and dumping sites for a long time after dredging has ceased. Meanwhile, even after the dredging is suspended, these contaminants will continue to become available around the areas surrounding River Naam to marine organisms, and potentially accumulate up the food chain. Thus, the remobilization and bioavailability of contaminants is site-specific, complex, and affected by a multitude of factors according to the experts.

This is inevitably clear that the distribution of individual species and populations will be patchy with certain areas within the northern Bentiu that have higher mammal (fishes) densities than others will be the targets. Without doubt, the damages shall clearly happen through an entrainment, the habitat degradation, and noise, and the remobilization of contaminants, sedimentation, and increases in suspended sediment concentrations. With this, it is very simple to understand the likely effect because, even in a layman’s observation, you would be certain and aware of the fact that the seagrass beds are what always utilizes frequently by marine mammals such as the fishes. For example, the herbivorous sirenians (fishes) are reliant entirely on the seagrass beds as a food source. So, the removal of the sediments out of the River Naam have substantial effects on the survival, distribution, and feeding habits of those fishes for example. 

Normally anytime and everywhere, the common objective and uses of the dredging apart from its primary effect as a habitat degradation and losses of these habitats which follows as a result of dredging can be substantial, there are always vast objectives when considering the dredging project.  The supporting factors are (1) the construction of river-ports (2) the waterways  (3) the dykes, and (4) other marine infrastructure. It’s also intend for (1) the land reclamation (2) flood control and storm protection (3) extraction of mineral resources and, (4) to the wider extend, providing a needed raw material for the construction industry (e.g. for road construction), and (5) in environmental remediation of contaminated sediments. In this particular regard, one is prompted to question what the Egyptian intended for the dredging project this time? And why particularly in the heart of Nuer land?

In addition to the questions above, in fact, the dredging is being performed in many forms, it has many types and, and happens through varieties of processes. And therefore, the ministry of Water Resource and Irrigation has fallen short in providing South Sudanese people, and particularly Unity State citizens of the type and processes that Egyptians are allowed to perform. Anf, accordingly, there are four (4) main types of dredger. These are (1) Cutter Suction Dredgers (CSDs) (2) Trailing Suction Hopper Dredgers (TSHDs) (3) Grab Dredgers, and (4) Backhoe Dredgers. These types of dredging are used commonly in the dredging operations. Meanwhile, the so-called Water Resource and Irrigation Ministry of South Sudan either has not been informed of the type or hesitated to share that clue with South Sudanese.

In each of the above mentioned types and processes, it is certain that all the marine mammals found beneath the River Naam are the main target of the Egyptian project. Meanwhile, once this dredging started in River Naam, physical injury or mortality of these marine animals from collisions, noise production, and increased turbidity are going to be the main ways that the dredging will affect the River Naam marine mammals directly. This is always like that when sensitive environments such as, the vessel movement which associated with all the stages of dredging (from transit, the extraction site, dumping grounds, and to the operation of dredger itself,) it is certain that, the seagrass beds of the River Naam are to be at risk from smothering and removal. Also, all the marine organisms associated with the seabed are at risk too from entrainment (which is the unintentional removal of organisms by the suction field created by hydraulic dredgers).

Since dredging of sea, river, and/or lake has an immediate negative impact on the marine environment, a sustainable management of such activity is required based on an in-depth understanding of how dredging affects marine habitats and associated fauna and flora. More importantly, there are needs for setting regulations, project requirements, and nature of the seabed to determine which dredger is used. However, none of these has been mentioned nor given a necessary consideration by the South Sudan Ministry of Water Resource and Irrigation before allowing Egypt. Despite the worse and abusive political scenario accompanying this political machination by the Egyptians government with elements from South Sudan government on the Nuer people of South Sudan, our main concerns as citizens of South Sudan is that, dredging of either River Naam or any of the tributary along the White Nile will have a devastated impacts on marine organisms negatively. Interference with these habitats, which could be caused by dredging, may impact upon local distribution and abundance must be halted by force. 

Consequently, I can urge that the Nuer people of Unity State must react and never allow such an unpatriotic attempt by elements of opportunists within the failed government of Juba to happen. Failure to stop the proposed dredging of the River Naam means that the marine mammals (and particularly, fishes) are to be dispersed widely.!!!!! 

The author, johnsonmak, can be reached through email at johnsonmak61@gmail.com.