Tut Gatluak given 5-day ultimatum to relocate peace delegates from hotels over unpaid $10m bill

JUBA – South Sudan’s presidential advisor on security affairs and chairperson of the country’s National Transitional Committee (NTC), Tutkew Gatluak, has been given a five-day ultimatum – by at least nine Juba hotels  – to relocate peace delegates being accommodated there over his failure to clear a one-year-old 10-million dollar bill, according to a letter addressed to Gatluak and extended to Sudans Post.

In the letter, representatives of the Juba Crown Hotel, Royal Hotel, Radas Hotel, Red Ocean Hotel, Referenda Apartment/Hotel, Astek Apartment,  South Sudan Hotel, World Focus Hotel, and Lames Hotel, said they have wrote several times to the senior government official but haven’t been responded.

“….. it is very clear that our hotels/ apartments’ offices had clearly informed your office of the Chairperson of National Transitional Committee (NTC) and Presidential Advisor For Security Affairs on demands of the accommodation arrears that had accrued and still accruing to or above 10 million USD without plan(s) for payment,” they said.

“It seems that your Chairmanship’s office is not responding to our requests for settlement of our past due accounts since 2019 to present date,” they added.

The letter stressed that the business entities have responsibilities towards paying their workers, as well as other credits that they should pay to other business entities, giving the security advisor only five days to relocate their guests from their hotels.

“Indeed, we in the business community want to inform your office that we have responsibilities to workers and as well as to other credits we owe to other business communities in the market.  Therefore, we strongly urge your honorable office to settle our accounts as soon as possible so that we are able to clear our business responsibilities in the New Year 2021,” they said.

“Last but not least, we are again giving your honorable office final notice of five (5) days to relocate your clients from our accommodation hotels & apartments for normal businesses or pay in advance for their further accommodation services,” they added.