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Juba – Al-Wadi Newspaper
Waterways were among the key issues discussed at the Transport and Logistics Conference held in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, particularly given the potential of the Nile River to connect several countries in the region to major trade routes and seaports.
Vice President and Chairperson of the Infrastructure Cluster, Taban Deng Gai, challenged researchers and experts attending the conference to study the feasibility of linking the Mediterranean Sea with Lake Victoria through the Nile River. He described the proposal as a vision that could transform the nature of trade flows across East and Central Africa.
He noted that Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan are landlocked countries, raising the possibility of ending their geographical isolation by developing an integrated waterway connecting the Mediterranean Sea to Lake Victoria.
The Vice President pointed to existing navigation activity along the northern section of the Nile, referring to barges operating from Cairo towards Lake Nasser. He argued that extending and developing the waterway further south deserved detailed technical and engineering assessment.
From Cairo to Juba: Reviving the Dream of River Navigation
The conference brought renewed attention to the idea of developing river navigation along the Nile and connecting Cairo with Juba as part of a broader vision to transform the river into a regional trade corridor facilitating the movement of goods between Nile Basin and East African countries.
Proponents of the proposal believe that developing the navigation corridor could provide an alternative to road transportation, reduce the cost of transporting goods and open new markets for landlocked countries.
Taban Deng Gai compared the idea to major engineering projects undertaken by Egypt to develop the Suez Canal. He said dredging, removing obstacles and widening waterways could, in his estimation, be completed within two to three years if political will, financing and coordination among the countries concerned were secured.
He called for water to be viewed not only as an issue related to consumption and storage, but also as an economic resource that could be harnessed for transportation, trade and development.
Operational Steps to Restore River Navigation
The vision comes as South Sudan’s river transport sector has witnessed several developments in 2026, including efforts to resume the river navigation route between Juba and the Sudanese city of Kosti.
South Sudan’s Ministry of Transport had announced an agreement with the Sudanese River Transport Company to resume operations on the route, alongside efforts to remove obstacles from the waterway and establish a company office in Juba.
Navigation between Juba and Kosti resumed in May 2022 after more than a decade of suspension, before being disrupted again by the war that erupted in Sudan in April 2023.
In Egypt, meanwhile, efforts are underway to develop river transport through the construction and rehabilitation of river ports, dredging and maintenance operations, as well as the introduction of electronic systems to monitor vessel movements and improve navigation efficiency.
River transport is particularly important to South Sudan, where the Nile River represents one of the country’s most significant natural corridors for the movement of people and goods, extending across long distances and connecting several areas and states.
Engineering and Political Challenges
Despite the ambitious vision behind the proposed navigation corridor, its implementation would face multiple challenges, foremost among them natural obstacles along sections of the waterway between Juba, Malakal and Kosti. These include shallow areas, rapids and aquatic vegetation, all of which would require extensive dredging and rehabilitation works.
There are also political challenges related to the management of Nile waters and relations among the basin countries, amid continuing disagreements over certain agreements and the legal framework governing the sharing and use of the river’s waters.
Taban Deng referred to the visit of Egypt’s Minister of Irrigation to Juba in February 2026, stressing the importance of consensus and cooperation among Nile Basin countries. He said such cooperation represents the most realistic path towards implementing joint projects that serve the peoples of the region.
