South Sudan admits difficulty in paying recalled diplomats

April 27, 2017 (JUBA) –South Sudan, Thursday, admitted its failure since several months to pay salaries of its diplomats who are recalled to Juba, creating a havoc within its embassies abroad.

Since September 2016, the foreign ministry has experienced difficulties to pay the salaries of its diplomatic staff. This failure also pushed Juba to suspend the recall of diplomats and attachés ordered in August 2016.

However, this month the foreign ministry told them to use the salaries of October and November 2016 that it has just transferred to return home by the end of April.

Several diplomats wondered how they can return knowing that they have debts in banks, not paying their rentals for more than five months. Also, they wondered how they can leave alone children in schools.

However, Foreign Minister Deng Alor Kuol minimised these difficulties saying the ministry of finance is making arrangements to pay their salaries so that they can return.

“There is no problem. There was only a challenge in facilitating the return of the recalled diplomats and attachés that completed the period of their assignments but this issue has now been resolved,” Kuol to Sudan Tribune on Thursday.

He went on to say that the delay to facilitate the return of the recalled diplomats to the headquarters was due to the economic situation in the country.

He further said those who were recalled had been replaced, adding that it was a normal administrative procedure to ensure the recalled get replacement and are given new assignments.

The new assignments are either at the headquarters or a post in other countries where they can continue to carry out their diplomatic responsibilities.

(ST)