Sudanese police surround home of S. Sudan’s envoy over vehicle repair fees
September 24, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese police surrounded the house of South Sudan’s ambassador to Khartoum, Mayan Dut Wol, following a judicial order to hand over three trucks parked inside the house to a Sudanese citizen.
The judicial decision came after a dispute a private company and the diplomatic mission over vehicle repair charges.
South Sudan’s deputy ambassador, Kwonk Magar, told Sudan Tribune that the three trucks were used for the voluntary repatriation of South Sudanese nationals from the Sudanese capital to the river port town of Kosti in coordination with Sudan’s Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC).
He further pointed to a decree issued by president Omer al-Bashir in 2012 stating that ownership of all vehicles shall devolve to South Sudan’s embassy in Khartoum.
Magar added they kept the three trucks inside the ambassador’s residence because there was no other place, pointing to previous contacts between the embassy and Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) to maintain the vehicles.
However, the deputy ambassador said that a Sudanese citizen claimed he maintained the vehicles prior to the secession of South Sudan and demanded repayment of outstanding financial dues.
He said that police cars surround the embassy premises and several people attempted to drive the three vehicles, noting they contacted Sudan’s foreign ministry to intervene to address the matter.
Magar further pointed that all legal dealings with foreign embassies must be carried out through the foreign ministry, underscoring they did not receive any notification from Sudan’s foreign ministry about a judicial order to hand over the trucks to the person in question.
The Sudanese authorities declined to comment on the issue, as the foreign ministry is expected to release a statement on this respect.
On Wednesday evening Sudan Tribune learnt that South Sudan’s ambassador to Khartoum had arrived from Juba and managed to contain the problem and stopped towing of the three trucks from the embassy.
South Sudan seceded from Sudan on 9 July 2011 following a referendum on self-determination organised in accordance with a peace agreement signed in 2005.
(ST)