A man from Chad has been arrested after allegedly attempting to hijack a humanitarian flight in South Sudan, state authorities have said.
The incident took place on Monday aboard a domestic flight operated by the aid organisation Samaritan’s Purse.
Authorities in Western Bahr el Ghazal State said the suspect held the pilot at gunpoint and initially demanded to be flown to Chad.
The aircraft, which was en route from Juba to Maiwut County in Upper Nile state, was instead diverted to Wau airport, where it landed safely.
All twelve people on board were unharmed. The plane later returned to Juba.
Officials said an investigation into the incident has been launched.
On Wednesday, the state’s Minister of Roads, Bridges, and Transport, Julio Bensensio Mungo, said airport operations in Wau had returned to normal following a brief interruption.
“The media houses were asking so much because people were not aware about what had happened,” Mungo told reporters.
“We want to tell citizens that nothing has gone bad. The plane has returned to Juba airport through coordination with our security agencies,” he added.
Mungo stated that while the investigation continues, services at the airport have been fully restored.