DRC’s ambassador roasted over violation

THE DEMOCRATIC Republic of Congo’s ambassador to South Sudan has been hauled over the coals by the South Sudanese government on allegations of violating Juba’s airspace as well as international law.

The accusations follow the Congo allowing its territory to be used during the evacuation of South Sudan’s former first vice-president, and leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition, Dr Riek Machar, from South Sudan into the Congo during an airlift after Machar fled Juba claiming his life was in danger in July.

The Sudan Tribune reported that the Congo Ambassador, Rene’ Ilume Tembele, was summoned by South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a meeting during which time Juba protested the action.

“The country’s information and broadcasting minister, Michael Makuei Lueth, described the evacuation of Machar from inside the country, using an aircraft coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo, as a violation of international law and asked the Congolese government through its embassy to explain why they could not inform them if they did not permit the evacuation plan,” it reported.

Lueth said the act had not helped the relationship between the Congo and South Sudan and neither had it benefited regional and global peace. “We summoned the Congolese ambassador to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, because we were protesting last week’s border incident when the forces belonging to the former first vice-president crossed the border with him,” said Mawien Makol, a foreign ministry spokesman.

Machar fled Juba after government forces attacked his residence following a clash between a presidential guard force loyal to President Salva Kiir and Machar’s armed followers.

The bloody clashes resulted in the deaths of 200 soldiers from both sides. – ANA