South Sudan foreign minister tests positive for COVID-19 in Qatar – presidency

JUBA – South Sudan presidency has this afternoon confirmed that one of the members of ministerial delegation that is in the Qatari capital Doha has tested positive for coronavirus after early contradictory media reports.

Yesterday, a South Sudan presidency official who is also among the over 40 government officials visiting the state of Qatar ahead of a planned visit by President Salva Kiir Mayardit told Sudans Post that at least five ministers have tested positive for the virus.

“Now as I am speaking to you, I am not positive, but five members of the seven ministers have tested positive. We were many when we left Juba and the test results for COVID-19 that we did in Juba came back negative for all of us and we now have people who have the virus,” the official, who requested not to be named, said on Monday night.

“Now that the delegation has been put under quarantine, we are expecting that the mission will be called off and President Salva Kiir will also call off his visit which could have been on Tuesday,” the official added.

But speaking in an interview with the Juba-based Eye Radio, South Sudan presidency spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny said only the minister of foreign affairs and international cooperate Mayiik Ayii Deng has tested positive for the coronavirus disease.

He said the whole of the delegation has been put under mandatory quarantine and will spend some time in Qatar.

“The minister of foreign affairs was found positive, so the rest were treated as contacts. As soon as the days of the mandatory quarantine elapses, the president and his delegation will be going to Qatar any other time within this month,” he said.