JUBA — South Sudan has reaffirmed its commitment to constructing the proposed Fulla Dam on the White Nile, dismissing concerns from Egypt and insisting the project is essential to addressing the country's longstanding energy crisis.
Energy and Dams Minister Agok Makur Kur said South Sudan would continue pursuing the hydropower project as part of its sovereign development agenda, stressing that Juba would not be deterred by opposition from downstream states.
"We have no fear of Egypt," Makur said, adding that the project is not a unilateral undertaking but one that has received approval through the Nile Basin Council of Ministers.
The remarks underscore growing tensions between upstream and downstream Nile Basin countries over the use of the river's waters, as several nations seek to expand hydropower generation and water infrastructure to meet rising domestic demand.
Addressing an Energy Crisis
The proposed Fulla Dam is planned for Fula Falls near Nimule in Eastern Equatoria State along the Bahr el Jebel, the White Nile's main tributary, close to South Sudan's border with Uganda.
For South Sudan, the project is seen as critical to overcoming one of the world's lowest electricity access rates. The country currently exploits less than one percent of its estimated hydropower potential, leaving much of the population without reliable electricity.
Most businesses and households, particularly in the capital Juba, depend on costly diesel-powered generators operated by private suppliers, driving up electricity costs and limiting economic growth.
The government says the dam will initially generate between 40 and 100 megawatts of electricity to meet immediate demand, with long-term plans to expand it into a larger facility capable of supplying the national grid and exporting power through the East African Power Pool.
Officials also maintain that Fulla is intended to operate largely as a run-of-the-river hydropower project, allowing water to continue flowing downstream after electricity generation rather than diverting it for large-scale irrigation.
Egypt's Longstanding Concerns
Egypt has historically opposed major upstream developments along the Nile, arguing that they could threaten the country's water security.
The North African nation depends on the Nile for more than 90 percent of its freshwater supply and has long relied on the 1929 and 1959 Nile water agreements, which allocated the bulk of the river's waters to Egypt and Sudan while giving Cairo significant influence over upstream projects.
Although Egypt's diplomatic efforts have largely focused on Ethiopia's Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile, any infrastructure built along the White Nile is also closely monitored.
Egyptian officials have repeatedly expressed concerns that upstream dams could alter river flows, increase water losses through evaporation and affect water availability downstream.
By highlighting the project's approval through the Nile Basin Council of Ministers, South Sudan is seeking to frame the Fulla Dam as a cooperative regional initiative rather than a unilateral move that threatens downstream countries.
Balancing Development and Diplomacy
Despite Makur's firm stance, Egypt and South Sudan maintain broader diplomatic and development ties.
Cairo has invested in several infrastructure projects in South Sudan, including solar-diesel hybrid power systems, groundwater boreholes, river dredging programmes and rehabilitation of electricity networks in towns such as Bor and Rumbek.
However, South Sudan's persistent electricity shortages have strengthened calls for large-scale domestic power generation, making hydropower development a national priority.
The future of the Fulla Dam will depend on several factors, including securing financing from development partners such as the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the World Bank, both of which typically require comprehensive environmental and social impact assessments alongside consultations with affected Nile Basin states.
The project is also expected to be influenced by broader geopolitical dynamics surrounding the Nile Basin Cooperative Framework Agreement, which seeks to redefine water governance among upstream countries, as well as South Sudan's internal political and security environment, both of which will be critical in attracting long-term investment.
For Juba, however, the government's position is becoming increasingly clear: expanding access to electricity and harnessing the country's hydropower resources remain central to its development agenda, even as debates over the sharing of Nile waters continue across the region.