The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the South Sudan’s head of mission in Geneva, Alison Manani Magaya, is dead.

Spokesman Ambassador Mawien Makol says the former Interior Minister passed away this evening after three months of illness.

“We’ve just got the notification that he has actually passed away this evening,” Amb Makol said.

He says the late Manani Magaya had been hospitalized in the Swiss capital, Geneva.

Amb Mawien says it is still unclear what disease the late was being treated for. But he says Mr. Magaya also had a liver complication.

The late Alison Manani Magaya was a seasoned politician from Western Equatoria.

He was in the National Congress Party before moving to the SPLM after the general elections in 2010.

The late Manani was appointed Minister of Interior in the first national cabinet after independence in 2011. He was then relieved from the position and later appointed South Sudan’s head of mission to Geneva.

The Caretaker Governor of Western Equatoria State, Patrick Raphael Zamoi has expressed grief over the death of South Sudan’s head of mission in Switzerland, Alison Manani Magaya.

In a statement, Governor Zamoi described late Manani as a true statesman, a leader, a father and our nation’s history book.