JUBA, Jan. 03: South Sudan President Kiir Mayardit received earlier today his Nationality Certificate, National Identity card and passport in a ceremony marking the launch of the new personal identification documents in the Republic of South Sudan.

President Kiir Mayardit was the first citizen to receive the new nationality certificate, ID card and diplomatic passport.

Meanwhile, the minister of Interior, Alison Manani Magaya, pledged that strong administrative and procedural controls would be in place to prevent foreigners from obtaining South Sudanese passports and other personal identification documents illegally.

Alison Manani Magaya said the issuance of the second generation of passports would be strict to prevent non-nationals to access the document and unauthorized nationals to get the special and diplomatic passports, as was the case when South Sudan tried to issue identity and travel documents in July 2011.

Mr.Manani warned that those caught selling passports to foreigners would be punished severely.

On his part, the Director General of Immigration and Emigration, Augustino Maduot, said immigration offices will soon issue personal and travel documents including birth certificates, identity cards, nationality certificates and passports in all ten states of South Sudan.