Government to downsize staff in embassies due to cash crunch

By Awan Achiek

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ramadan Mohamed Abdallah Goc revealed that they plan to downsize the number of staff in some embassies due to limited budget.

Goc while appearing before lawmakers on Tuesday said that once they will start downsizing the number of staff once they receive budget for paying outstanding arrears.

 “This is our plan because there is nothing in some embassies that will make us spend more money,” Goc told lawmakers in Juba.

“We have plans but we can’t implement, unless these people are paid. We shouldn’t run away from our problems, let’s face our problem first, let the money of these people be paid and then we can recall them to the country,” he disclosed.

Goc said the retrenchment will affect diplomatic missions with huge number of staff.

He noted that the number of staff in some embassies will be reduced to only one envoy plus two diplomats.

South Sudan has 30 embassies, 1 mission in New York and a consulate in Dubai.

In March 2016, the government announced similar plans to close down some embassies amid cash crunch caused by the conflict which broke out in December 2013.

In May 2019, the ministry of foreign affairs and international cooperation announced again that it was reviewing the status of some embassies with the aim of closing down some of them to save costs.