South Sudan needs to clear its AU membership fees

Last year, the African Union suspended South Sudan from the continental body after the government failed to pay its annual contributions for three consecutive years. The arrears amounted to over US $9 million.

However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the sanctions did not deprive South Sudan of its AU membership, but only led to the suspension of the country from participating in AU meetings.

But it seems the fees have not been cleared as the country missed out on the 35th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on February 5, 2022.

The major agenda items of the summit include rebuilding Africa from the ruins of the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring continental peace and security, socio-economic development, and representation of Africa in multilateral international institutions.

However, as African leaders gathered for the summit, South Sudan’s team did not show up at the event. A piece of unconfirmed reporting alleged that the team was informed in advance not to travel to Addis as they would not be welcomed until they paid AU membership fees.

This is not the first time South Sudan has been barred from attending AU meetings. In June 2020, South Sudan diplomats were caught by surprise when they were asked to leave an AU meeting in Addis Ababa.

According to a June 17 letter to the South Sudan Foreign Affairs Ministry, signed by Ambassador James Pitia Morgan, the country’s permanent representative to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa said: “We were barred from participating in the AU meeting as of June 16, 2020.”

Ambassador Morgan described the scene in Addis Ababa as “dramatic and embarrassing,” when the chairperson of the meeting stopped the proceedings to inform South Sudan’s diplomats that their participation was illegal.

South Sudan, as the African Union’s youngest member that was just admitted to the union in 2011, is supposed to have regular attendance at any of the AU meetings because the country needs to fix itself in the union.

 As a new member, South Sudan is entitled to job opportunities and representation at all levels of the AU Commission, but this could not be attainable if the country is unable to meet its obligation.

Besides the opportunities, several issues affecting the continent, like insecurity, COVID-19, and human trafficking, are often discussed at such summits, and South Sudan’s participation and inputs are very important. South Sudan is a country that has its own problems that need the attention of others for lasting peace to prevail in the country.

There is also an arms embargo on South Sudan that needs the support of the continent to help it be lifted, but this could not be brought to the attention of the members if the country keeps being barred from the AU meetings due to membership arrears.

The government needs to clear its arrears to regain its seat at the summit.