South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
The Ethiopian Ambassador to South Sudan Nebil Mahdi on Friday led the tree planting initiative in Juba aimed at mitigating climate change effects.
The campaign is part of the Green Legacy Initiative spearheaded for the last 6 years by Abiy Ahmed, the Ethiopian Prime Minister.
“We are planting 200 trees for the fourth time in Juba, it is part of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy program, , this is for the mitigation of climate change,” Mahdi told journalists in Juba.
He said that they plan to plant 600 million tree seedlings as part of this initiative.
Mahdi revealed that Ethiopia under the leadership of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has so far planted 32.5 billion trees, adding that Ethiopia aims to reach the target of planting 40 billion trees in the future.
“Climate change is creating a serious problem globally, we are sharing what we have, this initiative is the responsibility for Ethiopia to achieve its commitment to the Paris Agreement and to achieve 2063 African Union objective,” he disclosed.
Jaden Tongun Emilio, the Undersecretary for Forestry in the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, said that they plan to plant 100,000 million trees over the next 10 years to help mitigate climate change effects.
Emilio appreciated the Ethiopian community under the leadership of Ambassador Mahdi for participating in the tree planting campaign.
“The ministry has a policy to encourage communities to participate in planting trees, because these trees do not only benefit the environment in South Sudan but environment in the whole world,” he said.
Jaden Tongun, forestry Undersecretary, ministry of Environment and Forestry (2nd L), Nebil Mahdi, Ambassador of Ethiopia to South Sudan (3rd L)
Santina Gabriel, the Director for Environment and Climate Change in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said the tree planting initiative will reduce the impacts of climate change on the environment.
“It is important to put effort that will change climate, that will make us overcome difficulties that come with climate change ,it is an initiative that we will live to remember, that contribute to environment and that will live for generation, we need to maintain our environment,” Gabriel said.
The tree planting campaign that included Guava, Avocado and mango trees was witnessed by David Kwaje, the IGAD head of mission in South Sudan and John Chol Dau, the Director General for Vocational Training Skills Development in the Ministry of Labor.
