Sudan summons S Sudan ambassador over missing embassy employee

Sudan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has summoned South Sudan’s Ambassador to Khartoum Mayan Dut to explain the disappearance of an employee of the Sudanese Embassy in Juba on 1 May.

Sudan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has summoned South Sudan’s Ambassador to Khartoum Mayan Dut to explain the disappearance of an employee of the Sudanese Embassy in Juba on 1 May.

The ministry said Thursday they believe their employee is in the custody of South Sudan’s Military Intelligence.

Ambassador Ali Al Sadiq, Acting Director of Bilateral and Regional Reactions, told Mayan that the alleged detention of their staff member for over a week by  security organs is “unacceptable” and lacks clear justification.

Ali urged Mayan to talk to authorities in South Sudan so that the detained worker is released, saying the embassy staffer didn’t commit any crime.

“On Friday morning, 1 May, the worker went out of the office and informed his colleague that he was going to visit a relative in a Juba suburb, but he didn’t come back up till now. His phone is closed completely,” reads a statement issued by the ministry.

Mayan promised to exert efforts to know the circumstances surrounding the detention of the embassy worker in Juba.  He claimed that the detainee could be released within the coming hours.

Separately, the Sudanese diplomat handed a letter from President Omar al-Bashir inviting South Sudanese President Salva Kiir to the swearing in ceremony for a new presidential term.

File photo: Ambassador Mayen Dut Wol (The Niles/Mohamed Hilaly)

Related:

Sudanese embassy worker disappears in Juba (5 May)