‘Looting and robbery’ at Juba airport harming South Sudan refutation, Yakani tells gov’t

JUBA – A prominent activist has appealed to the government and the ministry of interior to intervene and address what he calls “looting and robbery” at Juba International Airport and Nimule border entry point, saying behaviors of individual officers is harming South Sudan’s refutation.

This comes a day after controversial Ugandan activist Stella Nyanzi said in a statement addressed to President Salva Kiir Mayardit that she was horrified upon arrival in South Sudan this week by “high levels of bribes and corruption” at the country’s only airport that receives international flights.

In a statement, Edmund Yakani, the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) said his organization is disturbed by the continued harassment of arrivers by some immigration officers and said that such behaviors are harming the country’s refutation globally.

“CEPO seriously is disturbed by the behaviors of some of our immigration officers at Juba International Airport. The leadership of our immigration department need to resolve immediately officers’ misbehaviors at the Juba International Airport and Nimule Entry Post,” Yakani stated.

“The misbehaviors of some of our immigration officers are demonstrating bad attitudes to the world as if we are not socialized society in the current globalization. It is time for our immigration leadership to ensure that we meet the standards of international airport in juba airport. The culture of immigration officers engaged in looting and robbery of passengers,” Yakani stressed.

He further called “upon the leadership of immigration to discipline some immigration officers in juba international airport and ground entry posts to South Sudan from neighboring countries.”