Over 40 diplomats take oath
At least 52 new staff, including 42 diplomats who were recently recruited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, were sworn in on Tuesday.
The officials are expected to represent South Sudan’s mission abroad.
They include four administrative attachés and six staff members for the position of information and communication technology (ICT) who will be posted abroad alongside diplomats.
Speaking during the swearing-in ceremony at the ministry hall on Tuesday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ayii Mayiik [pictured], called on the staff to represent the country in a positive manner abroad.
“You are responsible for protecting the interests of the Republic of South Sudan and the values of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation by keeping continuous discipline and refraining from subversive political activities,” Mayik said.
He added, “Connect to your country and understand its difficulties and engage with its development.”
The process of recruitment began in June 2021, marking the first-ever transparent and formal employment procedures not only for the ministry of foreign affairs but also for other ministries in the country.
The process took educational qualifications and regional representation into consideration, involving senior staff at the ministry of labour and public service to thoroughly vet out forged documents.
According to the senior diplomat in the ministry, the majority of the candidates, including interns from the ministry, failed the test due to many factors, such as language barriers and having unauthenticated certificates.
“Out of 218 candidates, only 52 candidates are recommended for the appointment. Some candidates failed their interviews, and some did not attend interviews because of unknown reasons.
“Some candidates were not considered for interviews because their original documents were missing or were not authenticated,” explained Amb. Akwoch Daniel Ding, Chairperson of the Recruitment Committee and Director of Administration.
Though Amb. Akwoch did not specify the number of candidates with unauthenticated documents, last year, the ministry of higher education reported rampant cases of fake documents possessed by government employees.
“Some of those who obtain these certificates fraudulently are those who fail to deliver in the offices,” Makuei told journalists.
The Minister of Higher Education, Gabriel Changson Chang, attributed the poor productivity within government institutions to fake documents, pointing out that his ministry was collaborating with the ministry of public service to roll out a vetting process.
In June 2021, the Minister of Information and Government Spokesperson, Michael Makuei Lueth, also blamed the poor performances of the public offices on the possession of forged documents by some employees.
