By Yiep Joseph
Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) has instructed organized security forces to stop unnecessary searches of diplomatic vehicles and those belonging to non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Gen. Paul Nang Majok said that his office had received complaints regarding the searches.
While addressing joint security forces deployed to ensure a peaceful celebration of New Year 2025, he called for the exemption of diplomats and NGOs from these security checks.
Gen. Majok urged both traffic police and security personnel not to stop diplomatic and NGO vehicles on the road for searches.
“I want to tell traffic officers we have diplomats here; we have non-governmental organizations here; you have given their cars number plates; these people should not be stopped or checked,” Nang said.
“Also, to you, the security, any car of the embassy, any car from the non-governmental organizations that has the plate number, please do not stop or check. Let me hope it is clear,” he ordered.
Both the diplomatic and NGO cars are marked with number plates CD (that stands for Country Diplomat) and INGO/NGO/NNG(International Non-governmental organization/Non-governmental organization/National Non-governmental Organization respectively, for easy identification.
The Chief reiterated the need for the Joint Security Forces to respect diplomats as well as non-governmental organizations during the security search.
He urged both the traffic police and the security official for the operation to identify diplomatic and NGO cars with their numbers and give them away without checking.
As per International relations is concerned, the CDF called for respect and protection of foreigners by the security forces.
The Chief urged security forces to carry out search in a good faith, with discipline and professionalism.
Recently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said it regretted incidents involving diplomatic premises and vehicles that occurred during the annual end-of-year security search in Juba.
This came after several diplomats and some NGOs raised complaints about being stopped and searched by the joint security forces on duty during the Christmas festival.
Some of the diplomats, although not officially, complained of being ordered to stop for searching by security forces in most cases in Juba as well as on other roads.
Some claimed that elements from the Presidential Guard, also known as the Tiger Division, raided several diplomatic premises and forcefully demanded to be let in to search for firearms and conduct security sweeps, disregarding and violating diplomatic norms and breaching Geneva Conventions.
The soldiers also stopped and forcefully searched several diplomatic vehicles.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in a statement extended to the media, regretted the act of some security officers, citing that it was not an isolated case.
“These regrettable and isolated incidents were due to oversight and have been addressed expeditiously by the respective authorities,” the statement reads in part.
“We wish to reaffirm that our security forces operate under clear and well-established directives that strictly prohibit the search of diplomatic premises and vehicles, in full compliance with the diplomatic immunities and privileges as outlined by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961),” it added
“The Ministry remains fully committed to monitoring this situation closely, ensuring the safety and security of all diplomatic personnel, premises, and vehicles, and upholding the principles governing diplomatic relations and practices,” it read.