Karuma Dam in Uganda - COURTESY

South Sudan on Friday activated an agreement with Russia for the construction of a hydropower plant in the country, this is according to State-owned SSBC.

The cooperation agreement reportedly signed in 2018, was discussed in a meeting in Moscow, a day after President Kiir met his counterpart, Vladimir Putin.

Speaking to SSBC, South Sudan Ambassador to Russia, Chol Tong Mayay says the 2018 memorandum of understanding between Russia and South Sudan will be renewed and signed in Juba.

“We were supposed to sign this memorandum of understanding in 2018 but this memorandum will be renewed, and the company has agreed that it will be signed in Juba,” Mayay told state-owned television SSBC.

“This is the beginning of the cooperation between South Sudan and Russian Hydro we have the opportunity to develop Hydro water and clean energy.”

On his part, Arterm Sokhikya, the Russian Head of International Cooperation said his country is willing to implement several projects in South Sudan.

According to him, the cooperation agreement will also build water supply and treatment facilities.

“The agreement was signed in 2018, but this is an activation of the agreement in Russia, and we hope in several years we can speak about the particular thing we can achieve together starting from today’s meeting and the visit of President Kiir,” Sokhiya said.

The agreement comes after South Sudan signed with both Ethiopia and Uganda to import hydroelectricity from the two countries.

It also comes on the heels of another uncertainty over the position of downstream countries like Egypt and Sudan, who have conflicted with Ethiopia over a newly built mega-dam.

South Sudan has one of the lowest electricity access rates, with over 90% of its over 12 million population without a connection.

Most businesses in the country depend on diesel-powered generators to operate.