The Council of Ministers, in a directive issued on Friday, has ordered security agencies to conduct comprehensive examinations of aircraft registration certificates in South Sudan.
The decision was made during a cabinet meeting presided over by President Salva Kiir Mayardit. Deputy Minister for Information, Dr. Jacob Maiju Korok, addressed the media, providing insights into the decision.
The cabinet received a presentation from Madut Biar, the Minister of Transport, regarding the issue of forged aircraft registrations within South Sudan. The problem involved the falsification of foreign civil aircraft registration codes. As a result, 12 companies were identified, and their aircraft were grounded since July of this year.
In explaining the government’s actions, Dr. Jacob Maiju Korok stated, “Due to that forgery, 12 aircraft were grounded since July this year, so the decision that was sought by the Minister of Transport is to expel the foreign aircraft that forged the registration out of South Sudan and also seek approval from the Council of Ministers to conduct thorough security scrutiny for the documents of each aircraft so that South Sudan’s airspace remains safe.”
Some of the aircraft with forged registrations include Allied Service Aircraft, Eagle Enterprise Aircraft, Icon Aviation Aircraft, Fly Air Africa, Nile Wing Aircraft, and Nyanbiting Aviation Aircraft, he said.
In another presentation to the cabinet, Minister of Mining Martin Gama Abucha summarized a technical proposal for the Integrated Geological Survey System for South Sudan. This initiative aims to provide geological and mineral information to investors to facilitate the issuance of contracts for mineral exploration and commercial production licenses.
Dr. Jacob Korok explained, “The Ministry of Mining has the mandate to conduct a geological survey of mineral resources and provide that information to potential investors. This proposal will address challenges faced by the Ministry of Mining in terms of a lack of data, enabling the government to diversify its economy.”
“As we know, the Ministry of Mining is responsible for conducting geological surveys of mineral resources and supplying this information to potential investors,” he added.
He continued, “This proposal aims to address the challenges faced by the Ministry of Mining, particularly the shortage of data. The survey will generate valuable data used for issuing mineral titles and licenses to potential investors. Furthermore, the proposal holds the potential to diversify our national economy. It’s worth noting that the Council of Ministers unanimously approved this proposal,” Dr. Jacob clarified.
During the Council of Ministers meeting, President Kiir directed the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management to seek support from Gulf countries. The cabinet received a presentation from Albino Akol Atak, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, regarding his visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait.
Dr. Jacob Korok revealed, “The Minister for Humanitarian Affairs was sent to explain very thoroughly the situation of the refugees and also seek support from the Gulf countries. The three Gulf states visited by the minister have the willingness to support South Sudan by delivering humanitarian aid.”
Cooperation agreements were also discussed, with Deputy Information Minister Dr. Jacob explaining, “Cooperation agreements were signed between the governments of South Sudan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 24th January 2022. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has asked the government of South Sudan to ratify this agreement as well as all the support that is attached to the agreement.”