![Photo: South Sudan East African Affairs Minister John Luk Jok speaks at a joint press conference by seven of South Sudan's former political prisoners on February 13, 2014 in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. [Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/gettyimages-469229395-1024x1024-1-561x300.jpg?resize=561%2C300&ssl=1)
“This is to inform you that the minister for East African Affairs John Luk jok has died of COVID-19,” one aide told Sudans Post from Juba.
“He refused to be taken to the hospital. He was given medicins about two weeks ago and he said he will be taking the medicines from home,” the aided added.
John Luk Jok has served as South Sudan minister of justice right following the independence in July 2011.
He served under that capacity until Kiir sacked his entire cabinet in July 2013 leading up to the outbreak of war in December that year.
He was detained and then released in April 2014 and fled to exile in Kenya and returned to the country in 2016 as a part of a 2015 peace agreement to serve as the transport minister on thew ticket of the SPLM former detainees.
John Luk Jok served under that capacity until the dissolution of the government in February 2020 and was appointed as the minister of East African Affairs.
![General Simon Gatwech Dual [Photo from a screen grab from YouTube]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/gatwech-dual.png?resize=120%2C86&ssl=1)
![China-aided project for the expansion and modernization of Juba Teaching Hospital in Juba, South Sudan. [Xinhua/Gale Julius]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/unnamed.jpg?resize=120%2C86&ssl=1)
He did not die from Co-vid19. Please do not perpetuate this narrative.