Dhieu Mathok becomes latest South Sudan gov’t minister to catch COVID-19

JUBA – South Sudan’s minister of investment Dhieu Mathok Ding who was on a government mission to the Qatari capital Doha has now been diagnosed with the deadly coronavirus disease, South Sudan government has announced.

This comes after a South Sudan government delegation that traveled to Doha earlier this week was put on quarantine after the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mayiik Ayii Deng tested positive for COVID-19.

Speaking in an interview with the Juba-based Eye Radio, information minister and government spokesman Michael Makuei Lueth said the delegation was still in Qatar in contrary to an earlier report that the delegation has returned to the country.

Makuei said the minister of investment Dhieu Mathok Ding has now been diagonosed with the virus.

“They are still there because they have been diagnosed positive and the rest were contact persons, they have come back and they have been tested and at least they have been told to go to their houses, and probably on Monday they will report to the offices,” Makuei said

On Sunday, a top-notch South Sudan delegation led by the country’s presidential security advisor Tutkew Gatluak arrived in Doha ahead of a now-halted visit by President Salva Kiir Mayardit.

The team includes ministers of foreign affairs, finance and planning, investment, roads and bridges, higher education, agriculture, wildlife, and tourism and conservation.

However, the delegation was placed, soon after arrival, under a 14-day quarantine after the Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation Mayiik Ayii Deng, who was on the team with six other ministers, was diagnosed with COVID-19.

South Sudan presidency later on said the team will stay in Qatar for the duration of the quarantine before another date for President Salva Kiir’s visit is decided.

But speaking to Sudans Post this evening, a senior foreign ministry official said the delegation has been back to the country and were received at Juba International Airport by the undersecretary in the ministry of foreign affairs.

“Yes the delegation has returned back to the country and they were with the undersecretary of the ministry [of foreign affairs and international cooperation] yesterday,” the official who refused to be identified told a Sudans Post reporter in Juba.