S. Sudan will shoot down planes violating its airspace: officials

December 12, 2015 (JUBA) - The South Sudanese government has ordered its army to shoot down any aircraft flying across its airspace without permission, officials said on Saturday citing the increase of unauthorized incursions into the national airspace.

Information and broadcasting minister, Michael Makuei Lueth, said the government has directed the army to act within its capacity and capabilities to use all surface to air assets to control the abuse of its airspace, asserting flying within the territory of an independent country without permission contravenes its sovereignity and international law.

He said the army has been directed to shoot down planes not recognized to have been given permission to fly across the country’s airspace or inside the territories of the world’s youngest nation.

“This is within the constitutional mandate of our army to provide protection and defend territorial integrity of the country against any foreign or internal aggression in order to safeguard the lives and properties and resources of the people of this country,” Lueth told reporters on Saturday.

He said the order was not directed at specific countries or groups using the airspace of the country, but on any plane violating the airspace.

“This is not a directive for specific countries. It is a precautionary measures to all those who enter our airspace without the knowledge of our air defence systems, whether they are countries or specific groups, be they organizations or business entities,” Lueth explained.

The minister claimed that the country was witnessing an “unprecedented situation” in which unidentified aircraft carrying weapons, medicines, food items and all sorts of supplies land and take off in an unauthorized areas in the country without prior notice or seeking approval of landing and taking off from the authorities.

He shied away from mentioning any specific examples of countries which have been violating its airspace.

Colonel Philip Aguer, spokesperson of the South Sudan’s official army, known as the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), also confirmed receiving the order from the government and declaring that the office of the chief of general staff of the SPLA, Paul Malong Awan, has ordered the air defence force to shoot down any plane that enters South Sudan airspace illegally.

"This security measure is in the interest of the people of South Sudan and the country. It is about safety of the people and their properties. There have been illegal activities taking place in the country which are security risk and threats to the security of the country and its people. Some unidentified planes have been hovering in and out of South Sudan and using some secret illegal airstrips to drop some weapons and carrying people and trafficking people illegally,” said Aguer.

“This has to stop,” he warned.

The military officer said the army is on maximum alert for movement of unknown aircrafts.

“The command of the army has strongly warned those planes that are violating the territories of South Sudan. In that effect the SPLA air defence have been put on maximum alert to bring down any plane that will be violating the territories of South Sudan,” he said.

Observers have criticized the decision, saying the army may target planes for humanitarian groups which had been supplying basic materials to the war affected areas across the country.

They warned that the move would possibly affect relief operations in a country where more than half of the populations depend on the relief assistances and air movement.

(ST)