By Yiep Joseph
Minister of Information, Communication Technology, and Postal Service, Ateny Wek Ateny, has dismissed reports that Vice President for Gender and Youth Cluster Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior was blocked from travelling.
The minister described the alleged blocking as false narration based on rumours.
Ateny made the remarks while addressing journalists, saying the government had received no official communication indicating that the vice president had been stopped from travelling or subjected to any travel restrictions.
“The vice president was not blocked. This falls into the situation I am here with you today because of rumour-mongering,” Ateny said.
The minister said the reports appeared to have emerged following remarks made by Nyandeng during the funeral of the late Kosti Manibe Ngai.
According to Ateny, the vice president later became the subject of speculation that she intended to travel but had been prevented from doing so.
He, however, said there was no official information to substantiate those reports.
“Vice President Nyandeng made a statement during the funeral of the late Kosti Manibe Ngai, and it was later rumoured that she wanted to travel but was blocked. However, there has been no official communication indicating that she was blocked,” Ateny explained.
The minister further sought to reassure the public that Nyandeng remains free to travel and move within or outside the country as she wishes.
“She is a free citizen. She can travel anytime she wants. So, I want to tell the public that this information is false,” he added.
The clarification comes amid growing public discussion over the vice president’s movements and alleged restrictions on her travel.
The reports have circulated through informal channels and social media, prompting questions about whether she had been prevented from leaving the country.
Ateny urged the public to distinguish between verified information and unconfirmed reports, particularly on issues involving senior government officials.
He maintained that claims of a travel ban or restriction should not be treated as factual in the absence of official confirmation from the government or the Vice President’s office.
The minister’s statement is the clearest government response so far to the reports surrounding Nyandeng’s alleged travel restrictions.
By rejecting the claims, Ateny said the government considers the reports unfounded and part of what he described as “rumour-mongering.”
Nyandeng, one of South Sudan’s five Vice Presidents, has remained a prominent figure in the country’s political landscape.
Her public statements and movements often attract significant attention amid the country’s ongoing political developments.
For now, the government says there are no travel restrictions on the vice president and that she remains free to travel whenever she chooses.