(JUBA) – The owner of dormant South Sudan Supreme Airlines has said he may take the Government of South Sudan to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague over what he claims is an unpaid debt totalling USD 1.05 billion, equivalent to about 4.83 trillion South Sudanese Pounds (SSP) at current exchange rates. The statement was reported by the Tanzania Times.
Ayii Duang Ayii, the founder of the airline, alleges that the company provided transport and logistics services to the government for several years without receiving payment. He further claims that a related business, South Supreme Foods, supplied subsidised food and fuel products to certain government institutions in Juba without being compensated.
South Sudan Supreme Airlines, originally known as South Supreme Airlines, began operations in 2013 under the name Feeder Airlines. Its base was at Juba International Airport, from where it served destinations across South Sudan. The airline’s fleet included a Boeing 737-300 and a CRJ100 aircraft wet-leased from Jupiter Airlines of Gambia, as well as a Fokker 50 and a Let L-410.
Over the years, the carrier faced a series of operational and safety challenges. In 2015, it suspended operations due to economic difficulties, though it later resumed flights.
In 2021, the government grounded the airline following a fatal crash involving a Let L-410 aircraft. The incident led to heightened scrutiny of domestic air safety. Two years later, in 2023, Ayii was arrested for allegedly failing to pay compensation to the families of the victims, according to reports by Radio Tamazuj, a Netherlands-based broadcaster focusing on South Sudan.
The airline also suffered a major setback in 2017 when an Antonov An-26 was destroyed in Wau following another crash.
If Ayii pursues his ICC threat, the case could mark one of the rare occasions where a commercial dispute between a business owner and the South Sudanese state reaches an international legal forum.
