South Sudan has finally issued landing permit for Machar’s aircrafts
April 23, 2016 (JUBA) – South Sudanese government has finally issued a clearance for landing of two aircrafts to transport the first vice-president designate and “accompanying delegation” to arrive on Monday, 25 April 2016.
“I am writing in reference to the letter dated April 23, 2016 requested by Amb. Dhano Obongo, DG of Protocol requesting Internal Security Bureau of the National Security Service to clear two aircrafts which will bring the 1st Vice President-Designate and accompanying delegation, from Ethiopia to Juba,” partly reads the clearance document, dated 23 April, signed by Lt. General Akol Koor Kuol, director general of the internal security bureau.
“In view of the above, I am obliged not to hesitate to inform your authority that permit is hereby granted,” he said in the letter addressed to the Juba Airport director.
“However, the national security service regrets that due to maintenance of the Juba International Airport on weekends & delay by note verbale from Ethiopian Embassy, the two Diplomatic aircrafts will only land on Monday 25/04/2016.”
The language used in the landing permit however did not mention the agreed 195 troops of the SPLA-IO, their weapons and the coming of the chief of general staff ahead of Riek Machar.
It is however thought that the “accompanying delegation” mentioned in the clearance would encompass both military and civilian personnel who will accompany Machar.
A day before, the information and broadcasting minister, Michael Makuei Lueth, told the state owned South Sudan Television that the first vice-president could not arrive on Saturday as it was proposed by the head of Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC), saying their weapons will have to be verified first.
“CTSAMM which is the verification body will send a team of verifiers to Gambella to go and verify the 195 soldiers who are coming plus their individual weapons and plus these 20 PKMs and [20 RPGs,” said Lueth.
“It is thereafter that team will inform the government that they have done verification and based on that recommendation the government will issue the necessary clearance for the planes that will bring them,” he added.
It is not clear whether the said verification will be completed before Monday, the day scheduled for the return of the top leader of the SPLM-IO.
Earlier, officials of the opposition faction said the weapons verification had already been done by the Ethiopian authorities.
(ST)