By Ruot George
South Sudan’s Vice President for Economic Cluster has rebuffed claims within the public that the late minister for water resources and irrigation Peter Gatkuoth Manawa was poisoned.
James Wani Igga revealed this recently during the funeral of the deceased on Thursday in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.
Wani also discarded claims that Manawa could have been targeted for his being against the ongoing dredging activities along the Nile River in Unity State.
“This is not a decision by Manawa, it was a decision of our council of ministers’ meeting not Manawa or Wani Igga alone,” Wani said.
The Council of Ministers on September 20th last year approved resolution 39/2021 to allow dredging activities along the Nile.
“The issue of dredging most of us jumped to the conclusion without obtaining scientific information, and I want to correct this today because it’s one of the issues where they throw stones and nails on the late Manawa,” Wani said.
“If you are not aware, Manawa died of heart attack, no one poisoned him I must tell you the truth,” he added.
Dr. Riek Machar, the First Vice President and Chairperson of Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO) said Manawa suffered from high blood pressure.
Manawa was flown to Cairo, the Egyptian capital June 17, after being attended to in Freedom and Baraka hospital for chest pain in Juba.
“In Cairo, he was diagnosed to have been suffering from high blood pressure that destroyed the main vein to his heart, stomach and kidneys. The doctors tried their best to replace the veins but he passed on at 5: 00 A.M on Sunday 19th June 2022,” Machar revealed.
