The Face of Truth:  Gedarif Water Brings the Dams Implementation Unit Back to the Forefront

Ibrahim Shglawi

In a significant development that revives hope among the residents of Gedarif State, the state government yesterday launched the second phase of the fundamental water solution project. This phase includes the delivery of transmission lines to supply 25 villages and 18 residential neighborhoods, within an internal network that is 99% complete. This progress brings the project back into the spotlight, aiming to restore trust between the state and its citizens, despite ongoing financial challenges.

The Governor of Gedarif affirmed that the arrival of the pipelines is a clear message to the skeptics, announcing the full resumption of work after the rainy season — a sign of the local government’s determination to close this long-standing file.

The return of the Gedarif Water Project to the forefront brings to mind the pivotal role of the Dams Implementation Unit, the institution that served for years as the government’s arm in executing major infrastructure projects. Though it had faded from the scene in recent years, its return may mark a new phase of reconstruction and rebalancing the country’s development path.

The Gedarif Water Project, a companion to the Upper Atbara and Setit Dams launched in 2015, has become a massive strategic initiative now considered the largest water supply project in Sudan. It was planned to cover the entire city of Gedarif, in addition to 25 villages and 18 neighborhoods, through an internal pipeline network stretching 1,610 kilometers.

The project includes a water intake from the dam, a central treatment plant, a 10,000-cubic-meter reservoir, and a main transmission line 75 kilometers long, with a daily production capacity of 75,000 cubic meters. It was designed according to global technical standards to accommodate population growth and strengthen long-term water security.

However, the project encountered financial and bureaucratic obstacles that delayed its completion. According to resident engineer Mohamed Salim, the project has reached 96% completion, with the installation of pumps and the treatment system finalized. The remaining work—final connections and commissioning—is pending the fulfillment of ongoing financial commitments. He explained that reviewing work done over the past three years may require importing some equipment from China, and the project is expected to be completed within eight months of work resumption. The state government has committed to resolving the issues facing the villages of Shamilbab to avoid obstruction of the Chinese contractor’s work once the main transmission line resumes—though the Dams Unit is not directly involved at this stage.

According to a statement by Finance Minister Dr. Jibril Ibrahim to the Sudan News Agency (SUNA) in March 2023, the project’s total cost reached 60 million USD, with the Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah funding 57.75 million USD, while the Sudanese government contributed 2.25 million USD for consultancy services.

In this context, the Dams Implementation Unit returns as the body that originally oversaw the project, being a companion to the Upper Atbara and Setit Dams. This unit, which played a critical role in executing projects like Merowe and Setit Dams, possesses unparalleled institutional and technical expertise in Sudan. Its ability to manage financing and implement projects to strict standards was a key reason for its past success.

The unit’s absence during later phases of infrastructure projects—particularly in the Gedarif Water Project—left a technical and organizational void, reflected in financial stagnation and overlapping authorities between the federal and state governments. This necessitates a reassessment of the unit’s position as a nationally oriented institution that should be reactivated in major projects, not marginalized.

The Gedarif Project is a test of the state’s will and its capacity to transform development into a cohesive process of planning, financing, and execution. It is a project that affects human security, reinforces social stability, and paves the way for developing agriculture, agro-industries, education, and healthcare in a state that is a pillar of the national economy.

The issue of water scarcity in Gedarif and other Sudanese states has remained unresolved for years, with promises piling up more than solutions. Most projects are now “almost complete,” awaiting a push in political, technical, and institutional commitment. Therefore, the remaining stages must be managed with high professionalism to avoid the looming risk of halts, regardless of completion percentages.

The return of the Dams Implementation Unit to the forefront is both a technical and organizational necessity—essential to restoring trust between the state and international partners, and between citizens and their government—to ensure the project evolves into sustainable infrastructure. With its expertise in quality control, tender management, and technical oversight, the unit is best positioned to complete such projects to the standards their scale and importance demand. Moreover, its return is vital to completing the “Zero Thirst” initiative related to water harvesting in rural areas, which supports sustainable economic and social development.

While Gedarif’s water has begun to make a presence on the development scene, the return of the Dams Implementation Unit to its rightful place is the condition for sustaining that development—turning stabilization projects into strategies that rebuild the state and help restore security and consolidate peace in Sudan’s rural areas.
That is the #Face_of_Truth.

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Sunday, May 12, 2025
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