JUBA: China will help South Sudan develop a mining sector and is in talks to lend it between $1 and 2bn for road, power and agriculture projects, oil and mining minister Stephen Dhieu Dau said yesterday
Speaking at a joint news conference with the Chinese ambassador Ma Qiang, Dao said China will provide $43m to conduct a geological study to help South Sudan’s plans to hand out mining licenses in its search for gold and other metals
He gave no further details on the discussed loan.
In March, South Sudan signed a mining law to attract foreign investment but officials and mining companies say it will take time to develop the sector because of the lack of almost any infrastructure or geological surveys.
South Sudan separated from Sudan in 2011 following decades of civil war. Some officials in the new nation believe it has unexplored deposits of gold, diamonds, copper, uranium, chromite, manganese and iron ore.
Reuters
