Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Japanese government has has advanced an additional grant to fund the construction of bridges connecting the recently inaugurated Freedom Bridge to Yei.
The Minister of Roads and Bridges, Simon Mijok Mijak said that plans are underway to construct additional feeder bridges that will take pressure off the already existing infrastructure.
Mijak said his ministry will also work with partners such as African Resources Cooperation (ARC) to complete the remaining roads.
“I must also thank them for granting another additional $20 million to connect the bridge through Kator and the rest to Yei so that it becomes the real meaning of delivery of services. I must thank the ambassador of Japan for facilitating such kind of additional grant.”
He also noted that there was a need to exercise caution when using the bridge by avoiding overloading.
“This bridge also needs the enforcement of a weighbridge because the load now is 100 tonnes for the old bridge, but this bridge is designed to take only 56 tonnes,” Simon Mijok stressed.
Japan has been helping South Sudan since independence through the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, humanitarian aid, and development initiatives totalling over $700 million and investing in the human resources of over 4,000 Japanese nationals.
During his speech at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Freedom Bridge, Tsutsumi Naohiro, the Japanese Ambassador to South Sudan, said the aids are consistent with Japanese foreign policy of actively contributing to global peace.
“Peacebuilding is an indispensable part of the global peace on which Japan’s peace and security depend. Therefore, Japan’s support for the South Sudanese peace-building and nation-building efforts is embodied in a proactive contribution to global peace, “he explained.
“Japan hopes to continue working with South Sudan in protecting the universal core values underpinning global peace, security, and prosperity such as inter-rules based international order and fifthly, Japan wants more active bilateral exchanges,’’ the diplomat added.
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