Africa-Press – South-Sudan. South Sudan has joined the Horn of Africa Initiative to enable her to achieve infrastructural development, the minister of finance and planning announced on Thursday.
The European Union – African Development Bank-funded bloc targets member states with underdeveloped infrastructures and struggles with the devastating impact of climate change.
Agak Achuil Lual said being part of the initiative will enable the country to implement the long-awaited linkage between South Sudan and Ethiopia by land, thus facilitating trade between the two countries.
“I am glad to inform you that South Sudan has been officially admitted to the Horn of Africa Initiative.” The institution has financial funding from the EU and AfDB in the areas of Regional Road Connectivity, Energy, Telecommunication, drought support program, and digitalisation.”
“The reason for us to join this group is that we will benefit from these resources from the EU and Africa Development Bank. We need connectivity between us and Ethiopia,” Achuil said.
South Sudan joined the bloc when Achuil and the governor of the Central Bank, Moses Makur, made a visit to USA to take part in the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) meetings.
Lack of infrastructural development is one of the major challenges curtailing South Sudan’s development, trade, and accessibility to local food production areas as well as humanitarian supplies to thousand affected by natural and man-made disasters.
In 2018, the government attempted to use crude oil for road construction connecting Juba to other parts of the country, but the project undertaken by Chine based company was yet to yield tangible fruits.
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