A delegation led by South Sudan’s transport minister on Monday arrived in the Western Bahr-el-Ghazal state capital Wau to inaugurate the construction of a radar station at Wau Airport.

Transport minister, Madut Biar Yel, is being accompanied by senior officials from his ministry, staff from South Sudan’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), and a team from the contractors- the China Harbor Engineering Company, led by the project general manager, Jia Zhijie.

Speaking to the press, Minister Biar said the visit aims at building a radar station at Wau Airport which is a part of the ongoing development of the Air Traffic Management System in the country.

“We have come here today to Wau as a part of the implementation of the Air Traffic Management System. The main reason for our visit is to receive the Wau radar station management system as we are implementing the Air Traffic Management System,” Minister Biar said. “Wau is one of the areas that we are going to build a station so we have come to hand over the site to the implementing contractor so that they can start their civil works.”

According to the transport minister, the ATM project which cost over 300 Million US dollars will enable South Sudan to control its airspace.

“Our government has made that huge investment on the Air Traffic Management system because we want to claim our airspace under our territorial control as a Republic of South Sudan,” Biar said.

For her part, Governor Sarah Cleto said the state government is ready to cooperate with the construction company.

“For us in Western Bahr-el-Ghazal state, it is a privilege and honor that the Air Traffic Management System is going to be established in Wau in addition to reviving the railway transportation which is needed,” Governor Cleto said. “We know the roads sometimes are not accessible during the rainy season but if we get our railway that will benefit not only the state but the whole country.”