An insider claims that China disposed of containers with hazardous chemicals in Sudan during the construction of the Merowe dam.
A total of 60 containers were disposed of, according to the former director-general of the Atomic Energy Corporation in Sudan, Mohamed Siddig. The Sudanese authorities allowed the entry of toxic waste containers “without inspection” together with the entry of machinery and equipment meant for the construction of the Merowe dam at the time.
In a workshop to raise awareness for chemical hazards this week, Siddig said that 40 of the containers with hazardous materials were buried in two tombs in the vicinity of the dam, while 20 containers were disposed of in the open.
The Merowe Dam in 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.