US EditionSouth Sudan grounds UN aircraft and alleges illegal surveillance and smuggling
South Sudan grounded four U.N. aircraft over alleged illegal surveillance and smuggling, citing intelligence reports; the U.N. denies misuse and states aircraft support its peace mandate.
- On Monday, South Sudan government grounded four U.N.-registered aircraft, alleging illegal surveillance and smuggling, while the United Nations mission in South Sudan denied misuse and defended their peace mandate.
- After reviewing tips from intelligence, Monday Semaya Kumba said a government committee examining aircraft found two aircraft with advanced surveillance and intelligence‑recording systems, which the government said exceeded the U.N.'s mandate.
- U.N. mission spokesperson Priyanka Chowdhury said Monday that the mission has been talking with South Sudan's government for a while now to resolve this issue and that air assets are used solely to support peace efforts.
- The grounding risks disrupting aid because more than 70% of South Sudan's 11 million people rely on humanitarian assistance, and restrictions on United Nations air assets threaten protection and aid delivery.
- This episode follows a prior grounding in 2017 when South Sudan government grounded U.N. aircraft after peacekeepers guarded the main airport, adding to tensions with the United Nations mission.
14 Articles
14 Articles
South Sudan grounds UN plane over surveillance claims
South Sudan's government has grounded four aircraft registered under the United Nations mission there, alleging that they were used for illegal surveillance and smuggling, which the UN denied. South Sudan’s foreign minister, Monday Semaya Kumba, said a government committee was examining the aircraft after intelligence reports raised security concerns, and two were found with advanced surveillance and intelligence recording systems. UN mission sp…
Associated Press News
South Sudan grounds UN aircraft and alleges illegal surveillance and smuggling
South Sudan’s government has grounded four aircraft registered under the United Nations mission there, alleging that they were used for illegal surveillance and smuggling.
African state grounds four UN aircraft
South Sudan has claimed the planes were involved in activities that threaten national security South Sudan's government has grounded four aircraft operated under the UN mission in the East African country, alleging illegal surveillance and the smuggling of natural resources. Foreign Minister Monday Semaya Kumba
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