Jacob Maijuk Korok, Deputy Minister of Information addressing the media after a Council of Ministers meeting on Friday, October 20, 2023. (Photo: Charles Wote)

The Ministry of Transport has grounded 12 civil aircrafts operating in the country since July this year due to forgery of international registration codes.

This was revealed at Friday’s cabinet meeting, where Transport Minister Madut Biar presented a memorandum on reforming the country’s aviation industry.

Deputy Information Minister David Maiju Korok said the crimes of forgery are being committed by aircrafts operators.

“It was on the memorandum on forging of aircrafts registration in South Sudan. There is a forgery on foreign civil aircrafts registration codes, and this is being committed by operators of aircrafts,” Korok told press.

The deputy minister said the cabinet has called for a thorough inspection of the documents of aircrafts to ensure the safety of South Sudan’s airspace.

“Due to that forgery, 12 aircrafts have been grounded since July. So, the decision taken by the Ministry of Transport is to expel the foreign aircrafts that forge registrations out of South Sudan.”

And the second approval by the Council of Ministers is to conduct a thorough security scrutiny for the documents of each aircraft so that the airspace of South Sudan is safe.”

According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), every aircraft engaged in an international navigation shall bear its appropriate nationality and registration marks.

It says all aircraft shall bear appropriate nationality and registration marks in order to permit identification.