South Sudan’s fate unknown in AU-EU summit
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has directed the Charge d’affairs at the South Sudan embassy in Belgium to represent the country at the EU-African Union Summit in Brussels, despite the US $9 million the country owes the African Union.
The Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Deng Dau Deng, told The City Review that no official was sent from Juba to attend the summit due to circumstances he would not disclose.
“Our Charge D’Affairs in Brussels will attend the meeting. Normally, if there are circumstances that do not allow an official to travel from Juba, then our Ambassador or the Charge D’Affairs will attend the meeting, “he said.
Deng revealed that, despite the fact that the country had not paid its African Union membership fees for the years 2021–2022, member countries were permitted to attend a meeting regardless of whether they had not met certain obligations in the continental body.
“The 2021 payment was delayed for obvious financial reasons, and normally, if you have not met your obligation, then there is already a standing order that you can attend the meeting without an objection,” Deng explained.
“But if there are issues that require voting, this is where you are not allowed to vote, but a member state is allowed to attend the African Union meeting, and normally it is our ambassador who attends all the proceedings,” he said.
Commenting on the SSP100 million that was approved by the Council of Ministers to clear the arrears at the foreign missions, Deng said the ministry of finance was still processing the money and would at any time be released to clear all the outstanding debts.
“On the issue of 100 million, it is a ministry of finance’s issue. The ministry of foreign affairs submitted a request of 130 million, but then 100 million was to clear not only the obligation of the ministry of foreign affairs but also obligations or commitments, contributions and fees to international organisations and regional organisations,” Deng stated.
“That money has not yet come because it is still being processed by finance, and these are the good people that you may ask. The AU membership fees are not yet cleared. “They are processing the money, and they will clear it,” he stated.
No-show
Early this month, South Sudan failed to attend the AU Summit in Addis Ababa for reasons which were not disclosed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
However, media reports showed that the AU Liaison Office in Juba had asked the government not to send any officials to the summit due to the arrears the country owes. AU sanction
In 2020, the African Union sanctioned South Sudan from attending meetings over her delay in the payment of membership fees amounting to $9 million. The government officials were asked to leave the AU meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
