South Sudan foreign ministry condemns ‘heinous crime’ against citizens in Egypt

JUBA – South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has condemned in a statement, last week’s racism attack against, one of its citizens in Egypt calling it a ‘heinous crime’ and urged the Egyptian government to respect and protect human rights.

Last week, a South Sudanese boy who is 14 years of age was attacked and then forced to work at an apartment before his private parts could be set on fire. His sisters who were also kidnapped with him were forced to film naked and then raped.

The incident sparked social media uproar and calls on Egyptian authorities to deliver justice were made by South Sudanese citizens who said they are being mistreated by Egyptian citizens due to their race.

In the statement issued this afternoon, the ministry of foreign affairs said it condemns the incident and urged the Egyptian government to bring to justice the perpetrators who include a woman identified as Nadia Mohamed Metwally.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of South Sudan received with great regret the news of the heinous crime, which was committed against a young man from South Sudan, Akol Akul Akul Akok, 14 years old, in the Egyptian locality of Ain Shams, by Egyptian citizens namely Mohamed Sayed Abdel Fattah, Abdel-Rahman Sayed Abdel-Fattah, Khaled Yasser Ahmed Abdel-Al, and Nadia Mohamed Metwally,” the foreign ministry statements reads in part.

“South Sudan government and people condemns this heinous and inhuman criminal operation that has been committed against this young adult, and calls upon the Egyptian government to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to this crime and to bring the four suspects to justice, as it calls for respect of human rights and provide the necessary protection for its citizens in Egypt,” the statement adds.

The statement further urged clam and patience among its citizens saying the governments of the two countries are working to serve justice confirming that the perpetrators have been arrested and are being investigated.

“Through this statement, the government of South Sudan appeals to all its citizens inside and outside the country to show patience and allow the way to achieve justice while the two sister countries are now working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs level to achieve justice against the victim,” the statement says.

“Egyptian authorities arrested the four suspects, and they are now under investigation by the Public Prosecution’s decision in Case No. 2110 of 2021/in the Egyptian locality of Ain Shams,” the statement concludes.