South Sudan denies allowing Egypt to build a military base on its soil
Friday June 05 2020
Members of the Egyptian army at a past event. South Sudan has denied reports allowing Egypt to build military base on its soil. AFP PHOTO | KHALED DESOUKI
South Sudan has rubbished reports that it has agreed to Egyptian request to build military base in Pagak, a town bordering Ethiopia.
In a statement on Wednesday, South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed some media reports as “unfounded and baseless”.
“There is nothing of that kind. No agreement has been reached whatsoever to allocate a piece of land for Egyptian military in South Sudan territory. Ethiopia and Egypt are close friends to South Sudan,” read the statement.
James Morgan, South Sudan’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, on Thursday said that Juba would not allow any external force to use her territory to attack Ethiopia.
“If any force intends to attack Ethiopia via South Sudan, it will first face the people of South Sudan,” the ambassador said at press conference broadcast by state affiliated news agency FBC.
“The information is completely false. The information is shared by a group who has interest to undermine the existing cooperation between the two countries,” added Mr Morgan.
Egypt and Ethiopia have been cooperating with South Sudan in the implementation process of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan mainly with regard to security arrangements.
The latest allegation against South Sudan comes as tensions between Ethiopia and Egypt escalate after Addis Ababa announced to start filling its controversial hydro-power dam next month.
Egypt fears Ethiopia’s Nile dam situated on the Blue Nile could significantly diminish its waters of the Nile reaching Cairo, affecting its main source of water.