May 3rd 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – The use of Sudanese passport by South Sudan opposition leader, Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin, is a normal procedure and should not surprise the public, a spokesperson for the National Democratic Movement (NDM) led by Dr. Lam said on Thursday.
On Wednesday, a copy of a passport bearing the photo and name of Dr. Lam Akol, who once was a Sudanese Foreign Minister, surfaced on the social media, Facebook with many asking whether the prominent opposition figure is also a citizen of Sudan.
Speaking to the Nyamilepedia on Thursday, David Lawrence Lual, the official spokesperson of the NDM said Dr. Lam is not a dual citizen but was given the document by the Sudanese authorities given his previous role as the country’s foreign minister prior to South Sudan’s secession in July 2011.
“He is not a dual citizen but he was given this passport by the Sudan foreign ministry because of his previous constitutional position as the Minister of Foreign affairs in Sudan. The laws in Sudan allow former Ministers of Foreign affairs to hold diplomatic passports for life,” Lual told the Nyamilepedia on Thursday.
“It was the same with Dr. Francis Mading Deng Kuol as well as Deng Alor Kuol who both were foreign affair ministers in Sudan,” he added.
He further said the issuance of diplomatic passports to foreign individuals is a normal procedure saying countries grand such documents to those seeking asylum in their countries.
“Being awarded a diplomatic passport doesn’t necessarily mean that he is a citizen of that country. There are many Political asylum seekers who are given diplomatic passports to facilitate their movement,” Lual said.
