John Woja Eliana, the Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority|Photo by Obaj Okuj|08-08-2025

JUBA, South Sudan (Eye Radio) – South Sudan has been granted full voting rights by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) for the first time, marking a significant milestone after the country cleared all outstanding arrears accumulated between 2013 and 2024.

The announcement was made by John Woja, Director General of the South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority (SSCAA), during a press briefing on the country’s recent participation in the 42nd ICAO Assembly held from September 23 to October 3 in Montréal, Canada.

“It’s important to note that for the first time South Sudan was given a voting right by the International Civil Aviation Organization after the country has cleared his all outstanding arrears that accumulated from 2013 to 2024,” Woja stated on SSBC.

Push to Reclaim Airspace

The SSCAA delegation, led by the Minister of Transport, utilized the ICAO Assembly—which gathered 193 Member States—to hold key meetings with ICAO leadership, including the President of the ICAO Council and the Secretary General.

These engagements focused on South Sudan’s ongoing national priority: reclaiming full control over its own airspace, which has historically been managed from Khartoum, Sudan.

Woja reported that the ICAO President assured the delegation of full support, encouraging them to follow the proper procedures.

The regional director for the Eastern and Southern Region was tasked to “speed up this process and complete the submission of the proposal by management for approval.”

The ICAO Assembly is the organization’s sovereign body, which meets every three years to set global policies for civil aviation.