South Sudan to start issuing East African e-passports

JUBA – South Sudan’s Inspector-General of Police, Gen. Atem Marol Biar, announced on Thursday that the country would begin issuing East African Community (EAC) passports.

He directed the newly appointed Director of Nationality, Civil Registry, Passports and Immigration, Major General Simon Majur Pabek, to initiate the process.

Speaking during a reception ceremony organized in Juba for General Majur, General Biar stated that passport samples were already prepared and urged the directorate to commence issuing the EAC digital passports.

“We partnered with a company to print the East African passports, but individuals sabotaged the effort,” he said. “Now is the time to proceed. Our President chairs the East African Community, and this should be a priority.”

General Biar emphasized that the samples were available and needed printing.

He assured Major General Pabek that he would receive instructions from the Minister of Interior, aligning with the President’s directive, to commence printing.

He claimed that “those opposing progress” delayed the passport printing process, which was supposed to begin last year.

He further argued that President Salva Kiir’s position as the head of the EAC made it “crucial to proceed with printing.”

“Our President is the Chairman of the East African Community, and we want to avoid any challenges from the EAC,” General Biar said. “If he is questioned about having the East African Community passport, what should he say?”

Major General Pabek acknowledged the long-standing issue of passport booklet shortages and assured the public that the government was addressing the problem.

“You know in this institution, we are facing issues to do with booklets, IDs and issues to do also with some other hardware and software challenges in ICT,” he said.