‘No radioactive substances at Merowe Dam’: Sudan Justice Committee

A fact-finding committee formed by the Sudanese Minister of Justice has concluded its investigation by reporting “the absence of any chemicals or radioactive substances at Merowe Dam area”.

At a press conference at the Ministry of Justice in Khartoum, the committee chairman, consultant Mawya Eisa reported that “all the measurements of radiation levels were found to be in the natural limits and indicating the non-presence of artificial radiation”.

He said that the only chemicals found are oils, lubricants, and plastic bags.

Toxic waste

As reported by Radio Dabanga last year, according to the former director of the Sudan Atomic Energy Commission in Sudan, Mohamed Siddig, 60 containers of toxic waste – probably from nuclear plants in China – were brought to Sudan together with construction materials and machinery for the building of the Merowe Dam  in the Northern part of Sudan.

The Merowe Dam, known by locals as Hamdab Dam, located near the Nile’s fourth cataract, was completed in 2009 by Chinese, French, and German companies, and largely funded by China and Arab financiers. The project doubled Sudan’s electricity generating capacity, but displaced more than 50,000 people from the Nile Valley to arid desert locations.

Siddig said at the time that 40 containers were buried in the desert not far from the Merowe Dam construction site. Another 20 containers were also disposed in the desert, though not buried.