South Sudanese Passport booklets| File photo

The Director General of Civil Registry announced a halt in issuing passports and national identity cards due to a computer software system breakdown last Monday.

Major General Simon Majur Pabek who heads the civil registry says the system is renewed after every decade, but the process was overdue.

Majur states the directorate is coordinating with its partners to come and restore the system as soon as possible.

Major General Majur has apologized for not informing the public early enough.

He spoke during a press conference at the directorate of Civil Registry Passport and Immigration earlier today.

“For some reason, we are going to apologize to the public for not informing them earlier, we thought that the issues of the system were going to be addressed within a couple of days but unfortunately there is a delay because the system is down,” said Majur.

“We have to ask our partners who are working with us, to come and restore the system,” he said.

“I’m sure within a couple of days the system will be back and those looking for passport and nationality will get them.

“I can’t tell exactly when the system be back but I do believe that soon within the coming week or next weeks the system will be back and running.”

The director of the civil registry also revealed the lack of enough passport booklets before the system breakdown.

As a result, he said, many South Sudanese including students on foreign scholarships, patients seeking treatment abroad, and government officials who were to carry diplomatic missions in other countries have been affected.

Simon Majur Pabek urged the public to be patient as the directorate addresses the challenges.

“The breakdown last Monday, before that we had issues where the passport booklet was few to cover those in need. We know it’s not students alone who are looking for the passport, some patients want to go outside the country for treatment,” Majur said.

“We have officials who are travelling out for official visits to other countries and all of them were affected and I’m sure this thing can be resolved,” he said.

“I urged and asked our people who are going to the East African Countries to use travel documents and that you can get it from the airport and our office also in Kololo and at the exit points like in Nimule.”