Animu Athiei, who has gone missing before Christmas, and later was reportedly seen escorted by men wearing the national security uniform to the office of the department of Immigration, Passport, and Nationality in Juba on December 22, 2021- courtesy

Ugandan authorities have refused to receive expelled controversial youth activist, Animu Athiei, according to her lawyer.

On Sunday, the South Sudan Immigration Department after an investigation tried to handover Animu to the Ugandan authorities on allegations of acquiring a South Sudanese diplomatic passport.

Animu vanished before Christmas, and was later reportedly seen escorted by men wearing national security uniform to an unknown location.

Since then she has not been seen by her family and friends, sparking concerns among activists.

But her lawyer managed to meet her today at Kololo’s Immigration detention in Juba.

Animu’s lawyer, Philip Anyang stated that his client deportation was authorized from above.

Anyang told Eye Radio that the youth activist was arrested on December 22.

“Animu was picked on 22nd by National Security and she was handed over to the Directorate of Immigration, Passport and Nationality and they kept her for two days and on the 26th that is when they took her to the border,” Anyang said.

“She alleged that she had been escorted somewhere, she later discovered that she was being handed over to the Ugandan authority on orders from above, that is what she had said.

Philip pointed out that due to the poor coordination with Uganda, his client was returned to Juba after they refused to take her.

“The whole matter went down to poor approach and lack of coordination with the Uganda authorities. There was no documentation, there was no case and her record was very clear from both sides of Uganda and South Sudan.

“The Ugandan government refused to receive her so she was brought back to Juba on date 27th and she is being held by the Directorate of Immigration, Passport, and Nationality.”

Anyang says during his meeting with the Director General of the department of Immigration, Passport, and Nationality, he assured him that Animu’s documents show that she is a South Sudanese citizen.

“This morning I managed to visit the DG who was very positive, trying to inquire the reason for Animu’s detention and why she has been kept by his office,” lawyer Anyang said.

“No one has complained, there is no information why she was kept there, he asked me if Animu is a South Sudanese which I confirmed that yes, she is a South Sudanese.”

For his part, the deputy spokesperson of the national police service, Bridger General James Dak told Eye Radio, the police are questioning the reason why Animu is holding a diplomatic passport.

“The problem is not about the fake passport, because her passport is original. But how she processed it because the diplomatic passport procedures are different from the ordinary passport,” Brig. Gen. Dak said.

“How she got all of this diplomatic passport is another issue, because she is not a diplomat, at the same time also we are told that she’s not a South Sudanese and we have discovered that there is something fishy.

“We want to know how she processes it, that’s why she is under detention and let her tell us how this thing was processed.”

In May, Animu was appointed to parliament on the ticket of the Other Political Parties OPP, but her appointment was revoked by President Salva Kiir over unexplained reasons.

Two years earlier, Animu who was serving as a consultant in the office of Taban Deng Gai – then First Vice President – was fired over unclear circumstances.

Ms. Animu has not come out publicly to clarify the matters surrounding her nationality.

She has on many occasions represented South Sudan in international forums.

According to the Nationality Act, a person born before or after 2011 shall be considered a South Sudanese National by birth if such person’s parents, grandparents or great-grandparents, on the male or female line, were born in South Sudan; or belongs to one of the indigenous ethnic communities of South Sudan.

Chapter Six of the Act says if a person knowingly makes a false representation or false statement about a material fact in an application for a certificate of nationality or certificate of naturalization, commits an offense and upon conviction shall be stripped of nationality, and fine, or imprisoned for a period not exceeding five years.