High-Level Meeting Discusses Obstacles to Completing the Gedaref Water Project

A high-level meeting discussed the completion of the Gedaref Water Project and the Upper Atbara and Setit Dam Project, which is being implemented by the Chinese company with funding from the Islamic Development Bank under the supervision of the Dams Implementation Unit.

The meeting was chaired by the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr. Jibril Ibrahim, in the presence of the Chargé d’Affairs of the Chinese Embassy, the Acting Governor of Gedaref, the Economic Planning Undersecretary, representatives of the Dams Implementation Unit, and the project’s resident engineer.

The meeting discussed the problems and obstacles facing the implementation of the project, including the return of the Chinese company to China and the loss of machinery, equipment and cars due to the war and security conditions at the project sites.

The Chinese side confirmed their desire to complete the Gedaref Water Project as a humanitarian project in the first place, and the Chinese company will be contacted for its return and resumption of work.

The meeting stressed the importance of resuming work on the project as a vital humanitarian project that addresses the problem of thirst that the citizens of the region suffer from. The two sides agreed to develop an urgent plan that will be discussed and signed in the near future between the Chinese company and the Dam Implementation Unit to complete the project in a short period.

The Minister of Finance stressed the importance of accelerating the completion of the project, stressing his ministry’s support for efforts to complete it and overcoming all difficulties facing its implementation in coordination with the concerned authorities, including recovering lost machinery and visas, protecting the project’s property, and providing the required insurance for the Chinese company’s camps, workers, and technicians.