South Sudan Foreign Minister Protests Denial of Travel to Abyei
January 4, 2018 (JUBA) - South Sudan’s foreign minister has protested denial to travel to the disputed Abyei region, sparking anger from the local community leadership.
Minister Deng Alor Kuol was scheduled to accompany and attend the burial of a fallen diplomat in the disputed territory of Abyei area.
Kuol told Sudan Tribune on Thursday he was surprised the leadership of the United Nations interim force could not put him on the flight that was taking the body of late Ambassador Kuol Alor Kuol for burial in the disputed area.
Ambassador Kuol was the representative of the Republic of South Sudan to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland, died on 27 December 2017. The spokesperson of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Mawien Makol Arik, who announced the death at the time, described the incident as a big loss to the country.
The foreign ministry remembered him as a man the brain behind the transformation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. His body was returned to the country during New Year eve and the government made the preparations for a delivery body to his native area.
Foreign affairs Minister Deng Alor Kuol who comes from the area was expected to accompany and attend the burial at home but failed to go on the same flight he had hoped to use to accompany the body.
No immediate explanation was given. Individual officials claimed the leadership of the United Nations interim force in the area had declined out of fear of being blamed by the leadership of the two countries for allowing senior government officials to visit the area without the knowledge and approval of the two governments.
UN sources in Abyei told Sudan Tribune neither the Sudanese government nor the government of South Sudan had shown interest in the visit of Alor to the area.
“Deng Alor is a foreign minister of a country. He is a not common person for him to just get into the disputed area. He is a prominent figure. His visit requires the approval of the two governments. But when the mission received the request from his office, it asked other relevant office whether it was okay but no response was given until the time for bringing the body of Ambassador Kuol Alor Kuol came," said a source close to United Nations Interim Force in Abyei (UNISFA) on Thursday.
"So there was nothing the Mission could do to put him on the flight. That was what happened,” he further stressed.
Minister Kuol told Sudan Tribune on Thursday it was unfortunate he could not go to the area to attend the burial, saying he was still looking for an answer to the reason behind the failure to put him on the flight.
“It is true I did not go to Abyei. I was supposed to go on the UNISFA flight but later I realized I was not on the flight even after a request was made. There is no answer I have received up to now and when the Sudanese ambassador was asked, he said they have nothing to do with my being left out on the flight. It is really an unfortunate decision. I am looking for an answer to the cause,” he said.
The foreign minister said he was not going for a political mission but rather going to attend the burial and mourn with the family members, relatives, friends and community members of the deceased.
(ST)
Minister Deng Alor Kuol was scheduled to accompany and attend the burial of a fallen diplomat in the disputed territory of Abyei area.
Kuol told Sudan Tribune on Thursday he was surprised the leadership of the United Nations interim force could not put him on the flight that was taking the body of late Ambassador Kuol Alor Kuol for burial in the disputed area.
Ambassador Kuol was the representative of the Republic of South Sudan to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland, died on 27 December 2017. The spokesperson of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Mawien Makol Arik, who announced the death at the time, described the incident as a big loss to the country.
The foreign ministry remembered him as a man the brain behind the transformation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. His body was returned to the country during New Year eve and the government made the preparations for a delivery body to his native area.
Foreign affairs Minister Deng Alor Kuol who comes from the area was expected to accompany and attend the burial at home but failed to go on the same flight he had hoped to use to accompany the body.
No immediate explanation was given. Individual officials claimed the leadership of the United Nations interim force in the area had declined out of fear of being blamed by the leadership of the two countries for allowing senior government officials to visit the area without the knowledge and approval of the two governments.
UN sources in Abyei told Sudan Tribune neither the Sudanese government nor the government of South Sudan had shown interest in the visit of Alor to the area.
“Deng Alor is a foreign minister of a country. He is a not common person for him to just get into the disputed area. He is a prominent figure. His visit requires the approval of the two governments. But when the mission received the request from his office, it asked other relevant office whether it was okay but no response was given until the time for bringing the body of Ambassador Kuol Alor Kuol came," said a source close to United Nations Interim Force in Abyei (UNISFA) on Thursday.
"So there was nothing the Mission could do to put him on the flight. That was what happened,” he further stressed.
Minister Kuol told Sudan Tribune on Thursday it was unfortunate he could not go to the area to attend the burial, saying he was still looking for an answer to the reason behind the failure to put him on the flight.
“It is true I did not go to Abyei. I was supposed to go on the UNISFA flight but later I realized I was not on the flight even after a request was made. There is no answer I have received up to now and when the Sudanese ambassador was asked, he said they have nothing to do with my being left out on the flight. It is really an unfortunate decision. I am looking for an answer to the cause,” he said.
The foreign minister said he was not going for a political mission but rather going to attend the burial and mourn with the family members, relatives, friends and community members of the deceased.
(ST)
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