After a 10-day absence that prompted concerns about his health, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit has returned to the country.
The 73-year-old arrived from the United Arab Emirates with several government officials but did not speak to the public.
He was received at Juba International Airport by senior government officials, including Vice President Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel.
Kiir’s trip to the Gulf nation, where he spent 10 days, had sparked widespread speculation that he was ill. However, authorities have insisted he is in good health, quelling rumours about his condition that had circulated during his absence.
Presidential Press Secretary Amb. David Amuor Majur told Radio Tamazuj this afternoon that the president had just arrived in the capital, Juba, following an official trip to the United Arab Emirates.
“We have just arrived in Juba now from the United Arab Emirates with the president. He is now in Juba,” he said.
On June 22, Kiir left Juba for the United Arab Emirates on what his office described as an official diplomatic visit.
South Sudan and the UAE maintain diplomatic and trade relations, with the Gulf nation providing humanitarian aid to the conflict-affected country.
The visit came amid heightened tensions in the region.
In May, Sudan’s military-led government severed diplomatic ties with the UAE, accusing it of arming the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and fueling the ongoing war.