S Sudan wildlife, tourism delegation in the country

Tuesday, 26 July 2011 02:00


By Costa Mano

A delegation from South Sudan's Ministry of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism is in the country to acquaint itself with the way Zimbabwe manages its wildlife and tourism while taking the opportunity to seek investors in the sector.
The 12-member delegation, which is led by Lt Gen Alfred Akwoch Omoli, advisor in the ministry is in the country at the invitation of Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief executive, Mr Karikoga Kaseke.
Addressing the media at ZTA House recently, Mr Kaseke said the visit, the first official call by any South Sudanese officials to Zimbabwe, was an opportunity for Zimbabwe's tourism industry to share their knowledge and take advantage of the opportunities that exist in South Sudan.
"I have been to South Sudan twice and have seen for myself the opportunities in the country especially in the area of accommodation. I invited them so that they can learn from us by talking to our industry and sharing ideas, "Zimbabwe offers training opportunities through our hospitality school in Bulawayo, while National Parks can assist in the area of wildlife management, in fact they will be travelling to Masvingo to visit the National Parks training centre in Masvingo. South Sudan is rich in wildlife," said Mr Kaseke. The delegation was on a learning mission, noted the ZTA chief and it is his hope that they can take back and put into practice what they would have learnt in the country. Speaking at the same meeting, Lt Gen Omoli, said South Sudan was endowed with an expansive wealth of resources besides the oil that was most talked about. The country has six national parks and 12 game reserves.
"We are here to see how you are running your parks, hotels and how you formulate policies that govern your tourism.
"We need to share instead of starting from scratch. We want to gain experience by learning from you. We have visited Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda but we are yet to see the Zimbabwean example.
"Our parks have a lot of wild animals, so we are endowed. In 1972 we were able to set up tourist facilities but they had to be abandoned in the face of war in 1983. Now we seek to rebuild and establish accommodation services in areas with tourist attractions. Last week we opened one of the parks that's close to Juba to the public," said Lt Gen Omoli. He assured potential investors that the war was over and their investments would be safe as the people of South Sudan were now tired of war and were looking forward to a prosperous country.
"We are tired of war but as you may know not every country is 100 percent safe. They need not fear anything in South Sudan because back in the day one had to sleep with their gun but now I don't even know where my Kalashnikov is," said Lt Gen Omoli. The delegation will be in the country until August 5 and their itinerary includes visits to Great Zimbabwe, Bulawayo's Matobo, Hwange, Victoria Falls as well as the Heroes Acre among other official stops and meetings.
Meanwhile, the Wildlife Conservation Society, earlier this month, emphasised that the vast wildlife and habitat resources of this fledgling country remain critical in securing its economic future. WCS, the leading conservation organisation working in South Sudan, has collaborated with the government and local stakeholders to establish a foundation for natural-resource management, land-use planning and conservation to reduce conflict and catalyse economic development.
Surveys conducted by WCS with the government of South Sudan have found that mammal migration rivalling those of the Serengeti survived decades of war, and vast tracts of savanna and wetlands remain largely intact. South Sudan boasts some of the most spectacular and important wildlife populations in Africa and supports the world's second-largest terrestrial wildlife migration of some 1,3 million white-eared kob, tiang antelope, Mongalla gazelle, and reedbuck.