South Sudan’s Ministry of Transport is seeking US$25.3 million to complete the takeover of the air traffic control system.
The South Sudan airspace has remained under the control of Sudan since independence in 2011.
South Sudan launched the construction of an Air Traffic Management system (ATM) in July 2020, and was completed in December 2023. It is now ready for commissioning.
Addressing reporters shortly after the Cabinet meeting chaired by President Salva Kiir in Juba on Friday, Deputy Minister for Information, Dr Jacob Maiju Korok said his Transport counterpart Madut Biar Yel, had presented a request to the Cabinet for a fund for the operation of the Juba airspace control.
“The total amount requested is US$25.3 million but the minister was advised to take the memo to the infrastructure and the economic clusters to be securitized to be tabled to the Council of Ministers for a final decision,” Korok said.
“Our center is now completed and that is why the minister tabled the US$25.3 million so that they can launch the control of our airspace. It is now ready and we are waiting for this money to take to the two clusters,” he explained.
The ATMS project is a cooperation project between South Sudan and the Chinese government, which includes training the South Sudanese technicians. It also involves the construction of the Juba ATMS center, a new control tower and the operation building, a surveillance, navigation and communication systems and the civil engineering and supporting facilities such as the meteorological facilities, the calibration flight tests and personnel training.