Germany’s top diplomat for Sub-Saharan Africa said that he is “worried” about the economic situation in South Sudan.
Ambassador and Director General for Sub-Saharan Africa at the Foreign Office Berlin Georg Schmidt spoke on Tuesday evening at the German Embassy after a visit to assess the political and economic situation.
He said he is worried about the country’s economy as the belligerents continue to embark on fighting. Schmidt said that South Sudan has great economic potential but as long as there are threats of military actions foreign investors will have little chance to come and invest in South Sudan.
The diplomat said that Germany cannot strengthen the economic situation as long as there is still the threat of fighting, noting that peace is key to allowing foreign nations to support South Sudan.
He said that last year Germany spent about 70 million Euros on humanitarian related health projects.
“We do try to alleviate the suffering but the question is how long will this go on?” he asked.
Schmidt said Germany encourages all sides to come to an agreement, and that his country supports the African Union and IGAD in achieving peace.
The ambassador said he met with government, opposition, civil society, and displaced people during his visit.
Radio Tamazuj Photo, (R) Ambassador and DG Georg Schmidt & (L) German Ambassador to South Sudan speaks in news conference today