Jan 9, 2021(Nyamilepedia) — Twelve opposition officials were today locked inside their hotel rooms at Astek Apartment in Juba over unpaid accommodation bills.
The delegates representing the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) at the ceasefire monitoring body – CTSSAM-VM, someone locked their hotel rooms and left with the keys.
“Someone came according to them (hotel management) and took the key and now they are telling us that he won’t be back until tomorrow. So they are telling us to stay inside the rooms until tomorrow without going to the bath rooms,” Major General David Nyang said.
He also said it is clear that the hotels have become jails adding that they know who is behind the conspiracy against opposition delegates.
According to the opposition official, most of the delegates were preparing to leave the apartment to their workplaces.
He said the management of the apartment has tried on several occasions to kick the delegates out of the place.
Earlier this week, the business community had issued a notice letter to the head of the National Pre-Transition Committee, Tut Gatluak Manime, asking him to pay off a whopping $10 million in arrears or else his clients may be evicted from hotels.
“Dear Client: In reference to our final notice letters dated November 2, 2020 and November 3d. 2020 respectively regarding hotels’ arrears, it is very clear that our hotels/ apartments’ offices had clearly informed your Office of the Chairperson of National Transitional Committee (NTC) and or Presidential Advisor for Security Affairs on demands of the accommodation arrears that had accrued and still accruing to or above 10 million USD without plan(s) for payment,” read part of the letter.
The group gave a five-day warning notice to the Chairman of the National Pre-Transitional Committee to remit the outstanding $10 million into accounts in the next five days or relocate his guests from accommodation hotels.
“Last but not least, we are again giving your honorable office final notice of five (5) days to relocate your clients from our accommodation hotels & apartments for normal businesses or pay in advance for their further accommodation services, Please, kindly accept assurance of our highest cooperation in this matter.”
Since the signing of the peace agreement, peace delegates have been accommodated on credit in hotel apartments despite numerous calls for payments by members of the business community.
