South Sudan says plans are underway to develop the Fula Dam along the White Nile in Eastern Equatoria State, as the government seeks to expand electricity generation and reduce the country’s dependence on limited power supplies.
Minister of Energy and Dams Agok Makur Kur said South Sudan has no reason to fear moving ahead with the project, arguing that the country has significant hydropower potential that should be developed.
Agok said South Sudan is a member of the Nile Basin and that the Fula Dam is among 34 projects approved through resolutions of the Council of Ministers.
The minister has previously described hydropower as a key part of the government’s long-term energy strategy, saying the Fula site could provide enough electricity to meet domestic demand and potentially leave surplus power for export to neighbouring countries.
The proposed project is located around Nimule, near the border with Uganda, where the White Nile flows through the Fula Rapids.
A recent assessment by the Nile Basin Initiative identified Grand Fulla as having an estimated generation potential of about 1,080 megawatts, while the government has cited a larger potential of about 1,800 megawatts for the broader Fula hydropower development.
The government says developing hydropower would support industrialisation, businesses, public services and investment by providing a more reliable electricity supply.
South Sudan is one of the Nile Basin countries and joined the Nile Basin Initiative in 2012, which seeks cooperation and sustainable use of the basin’s shared water resources.
Nile water management has, however, remained a source of regional disagreement. Egypt and Sudan have historically relied on the 1959 Nile Waters Agreement, while several upstream countries have argued for a more equitable framework for sharing and developing the river’s resources.
South Sudan’s Fula project has previously attracted attention because of its location on the White Nile.
In 2013, Egypt’s ambassador to South Sudan said Cairo had no objection to South Sudan building proposed hydropower dams, including the Fulla project, provided the development did not harm Egypt’s water interests.
More recently, South Sudan has supported the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) on Nile waters, which entered into force in 2024 but remains opposed by Egypt and Sudan.
For South Sudan, the government presents Fula primarily as an energy and development project, while its location within the shared Nile system places the project within the broader regional debate over how Nile Basin countries develop and use the river.
