A top South Sudanese diplomat has been stopped by Egyptian security officials at Cairo International Airport after trying to board a plane with 40,000 USD in cash.

South Sudan’s Ambassador to Nigeria Riek Puok Riek was reportedly booked to travel on a flight to Juba on Sunday. Egyptian laws dictate that travellers may only carry up to around 10,000 USD in cash.

A security source said the diplomat caused a commotion at Cairo International Airport after being stopped from carrying $ 40,000, prompting the security officials at the airport to contact Egypt’s Deputy Assistant Foreign Minister for Diplomatic Passports, Ashraf Munir, who advised Riek to abide by the Egyptian laws.

South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that its ambassador was stopped by Egyptian officials at Cairo International Airport on Sunday.

The ministry’s official spokesman Mawien Makol told Radio Tamazuj this afternoon that they asked their ambassador in Cairo to look into the issue.

“The ambassador’s flight was cancelled because he was carrying a lot of money. You know the ambassador did not inform the South Sudanese embassy in Cairo when he was returning back to Juba,” he said.

Mawien pointed out that the ministry was not aware of the money in procession of its ambassador to Nigeria. “But the embassy in Cairo is following up on the issue to know what happened exactly, so the embassy is still working on the matter, “he said.

He revealed that the South Sudanese ambassador to Nigeria went to Cairo for a private mission.