Sudan Railway To Resume Its Operation To South Sudan

Train carrying returnees from Khartoum arriving Wau in 2010 [Gurtong file photo]

By James Deng Dimo

WAU, 05, January 2018 [Gurtong] – Ayii said the reopening of the railway line between South Sudan and Sudan was reached by President Salva Kiir and his counterpart Omar el Bashir last year in a meeting in Khartoum on reactivation of the cooperation agreement on free trade flows.

“The rehabilitation process has now reached Merram boarder of Sudan to the South and the work will continue throughout January,” said Duong.

“My work as a South Sudanese business community chairperson and other technical members in Sudan is to see into it that the technical work on the line is accomplished as soon as possible to resume the train’s movements,” he said.

On his part, Wau State Minister of Physical Infrastructure, Mario Nyibang John, said they in Wau are providing all necessary needs of the station so that it can be ready to receive goods within these two months.

The railway had functioned during the last civil war when it was used to supply government garrison towns. But the line was targeted by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army’s in offensive against strongholds in Bahr El-Ghazal.

The railway has not operated since 1991 until March 2010 when it was reopened by President Omar el Bashir.

President Bashir during the time promised more railway connections in Sudan extending from Wau to Rumbek, Juba and Uganda. He said that he had agreed with Uganda and Kenyan on business deals to empower the country’s economy.