The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations confirmed on Thursday that South Sudan is downsizing its diplomatic missions abroad in a move to reduce financial costs as directed by the Head of State.
The directive, which comes from President Salva Kiir, will see staff reductions in some embassies but will not result in any South Sudan’s single mission closures abroad.
During a weekly media briefing, Thursday Foreign Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Ambassador Apuk Ayuel Mayen addressed media queries regarding the diplomatic restructuring.
She confirmed that the Republic of South Sudan currently maintains 32 embassies and one consulate in its global diplomatic presence.
Ambassador Mayen described the downsizing as an “administrative matter of the ministry” and clarified its purpose. “We were tasked as a ministry to mainly focus on reducing the financial obligations that come from our missions abroad,” she explained.
The spokesperson further emphasized that the goal is to cut the annual national budget spend on the country’s missions, not sever diplomatic ties.
“We are not closing missions but what we are doing is we are reducing staff within some missions. What we are doing is actually reducing the monthly or yearly budget that we are spending by having foreign missions abroad,” she concluded.