Central Equatoria State recently appointed minister of finance Diana Susu Hassan has passed on, officials and family members have confirmed.

According to her family and colleagues, Diana died today morning at the Mater Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Monday, the state minister of information, Paulino Lokudu said Diana fell ill and traveled to Nairobi for further treatment.

“As a state government we are saddened and shocked about the death of our colleague Diana Hassan,” Lokudu said.

He said that during the swearing-in ceremony for all state officials, Diana complained of ill-health and requested to travel for further check-up.

“From there, her situation has been deteriorating. We have been following up with her family until we learned that she passed on this morning,” Lokudu confirmed.

Meanwhile, a family representative Rev. Emmanuel Lugor confirmed the death and said the cause of death is not yet known.

“I want to say that we will mourn the late minister in the house of my late father Bishop Michael Lugor in Hai Malakal. We are still establishing the cause of death from Nairobi because we received the news without details," he said.

Diana was appointed minister on February 20, 2021, and sworn-in on March 3, 2021.

The Late Diana is the daughter of the Late Honorable Mary Kiden Kimbo, an ardent and veteran politician who died last month in Nairobi.