Simon Mijok Mijak, the minister of Roads and Bridges addressing media after briefing President Salva Kiir on progress of the ongoing projects of Roads and Bridges across the Country - CREDIT: Office of the President - April 4, 2022

The Acting Minister of Transport has distanced himself from the recently signed deal to revive the defunct river transport system with Sudan.

The resumption was announced last month by the Presidential Advisor on National Security Affairs, Tut Gatluak and Omar Al-Khalifa Abdullah, Sudan’s Acting Governor of the White Nile State.

The strategic river transport route resumes this month, after eleven years of closure due to the border dispute that culminated into the brief 2012 Heglig war.

On Thursday, Acting Transport Minister Simon Mijok Mijak was questioned by the Standing Specialized Committee on Transport at the national legislature on the initiative.

In response, Mijak said he is unaware of the arrangements to revive the Nile River transport system with the Sudan.

“On our part as Ministry of Transport, we have no any information brought to us, we just heard what was reported in the media that the river transport is reopened. We in the ministry of transport were not aware of it,” Mijak told the parliament.

The transport committee was concerned as to why it was not involved in discussion that led to reopening of the river transport corridor.

“We were shock because we are part of the government and we don’t know what is going on that why we summoned the minister to know from him and explain and answer all the questions,” said Glory Philemon, Head of the transport committee.

Both Philemon and Mijak spoke on state TV, SSBC last evening.