FM blames Kiir’s sleepover on JIA

The Minister of Minister of Foreign Affairs says President Salva Kiir and the accompanying delegation spent the night in Khartoum because the meeting with his counterpart Omar El-Bashir continued till late evening.

Dr. Barnaba Marial says the other reason why the President could not return home last night was because Juba International Airport does not operate 24 hours like Khartoum.

He says the plane that was supposed to carry the President from Khartoum to Juba also developed a technical problem which he says it was later fixed at Khartoum International Airport last night.

Dr. Marial was addressing the media at Juba International Airport this morning after President Salva Kiir returned home this morning.

“The president cloud not comes back as Promise yesterday because the meetings continued for a long time and since you know in Juba usually it is evening and our Airport here dissent open 24 hours like that one in Khartoum,” Dr Marial said.

“For the Plane, of course there was a small technical problem, technical fault in the plane which was later on corrected.”

Dr. Barnaba dismissed media reports from Khartoum that the President had collapsed while boarding the plane to Juba yesterday, which led to the delay of his flight.

“The rumors that are out there are not incorrect,” he told the press.

However, presidential press secretary Ateny Wek told Eye Radio this morning that President Kiir had slipped while boarding the plane. Luckily, security saved him from falling down.