Flights between Khartoum and Juba to stop within a month

April 10, 2012 (JUBA) – Sudan has extended for one month the period that flights can travel between the two countries, saying that a formal aviation agreement along international norms is needed in order for flights to continue.

After South Sudan seceded last year the two nations have still to find agreement on a host of issues including oil, borders, debt, and citizenship. Over the last two weeks tensions have escalated after clashes along the poorly demarcated and heavily militarised contested border.

Khartoum had originally said that international flights would stop on 9 April the same day that South Sudanese citizens would no longer be able to use a Sudanese passport to board a flight to Juba.

South Sudan’s Deputy Minister for Transport, Mayom Kuoc Malek said on Tuesday, that Khartoum had informed Juba of the one month extension but questioned whether the Sudanese government had considered that their decision would have a negative effect on both nations.

“I know such actions are political decisions but I wonder whether they were taken after examining economic effects between the two countries”, he asked, explaining further that most of the regular passengers between Khartoum and Juba are Sudanese nationals.

Deng Alier, who works at Juba International Airport, echoed the deputy minister, saying Khartoum’s decision would have less of an effect on South Sudan because most of the regular passengers were Sudanese nationals.

He said that 300-400 Sudanese national travel between the two capitals every day.

South Sudan Minister of Transport, Agnes Poni Lukudu, on Friday last week said she had received a letter from the Sudanese government dated 6 March notifying her ministry of the decision to stop flight operations between the countries.

Minister Lukudu, who announced the decision by the Sudanese government at a news conference in Juba, said the “should have been channeled through the South Sudan Foreign Ministry but strangely it was delivered to my office only to find that it was from Sudan.”

South Sudan’s transport ministry issued the following statement on the issue:

• On the 6 March 2012, The Civil Aviation Authority of Republic of Sudan published a circular, outlining clearly that there will be no flights between the two countries from 9 of April, 2012 until, when the two countries agree to operate their flights in accordance with international air operations. The circular also stated that all passengers moving between the countries will be treated in accordance with immigration and customs rules.

• On the 11 of March 2012 the Civil Aviation Authority further wrote to all airlines operating between the two countries that as of 0100 hours, all air operations to and from South Sudan will be officially classified and treated as international air operations with all attending issues fully implemented.

• In the absence of an agreement between the two countries, all air operations from Khartoum and other towns of Sudan will not be allowed to land in airports of the Republic of South Sudan as of 0100 hours of the 9th of April 2012 at the same time no air operations emanating from the RSS will be allowed to land in the airport of Sudan. This situation will remain in force until the two countries agree to have air operations between themselves.

• The purpose of this statement is to inform the general public and air travelers in the RSS that from Monday 9 of April 2012, until when an agreement is reached between the two countries on air operations there will be no flights between the two countries. Thus travelers from South Sudan to Sudan should find alternative routes.

• All Sudanese nationals leaving and arriving South Sudan airports and river ports will be subjected to the South Sudanese and customs rules.

• Finally the Khartoum will be responsible for any inconvenience caused as a result of unilateral decision by it to stop flights between South Sudan and Sudan.

(ST)