Two people working for a non-governmental organization providing humanitarian news and information were detained in Rumbek and prevented from traveling onward to Unity State.
The passengers were on a flight that landed at an area controlled by SPLA-Juba before proceeding to an area controlled by SPLA-IO. One of the affected passengers is Canadian by nationality.
Governor Matur Chut Dhuol told Radio Tamazuj on Friday that the media workers were deported from Rumbek back to Juba.
“They went back directly to Juba,” said the Lakes governor, “They were not put in prison, just they were taken when the airplane came and sent back.”
As to the reason for their deportation, the governor claimed they did not have proper paperwork, while also referring to the intended destination of the travelers as a “rebel area.”
“They have passport but they don’t a document for their visit from Juba to our areas… They were going to rebel areas. They were going to Leer.”
Asked about the whereabouts of the two media workers, he said: “Those foreigners did not have travel documents so their office said let them come back. This is a security issue it does not have anything to do with the powers of the governor.”