Germany has announced the temporary closure of its embassy in South Sudan, citing escalating tensions and the risk of a return to civil war in the country.
In a statement posted on the social media platform Bluesky on Saturday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock expressed deep concern over the deteriorating situation. “After years of fragile peace, South Sudan is once again on the brink of civil war,” she said.
The decision to close the embassy in the capital, Juba, was made by the crisis team at the German Foreign Office. “The safety of our employees is our top priority,” Baerbock added.
Germany is one of the largest bilateral donor of humanitarian assistance to South Sudan, including through development cooperation projects in the country.
The German foreign minister also called on South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and his rival, First Vice President Riek Machar, to take immediate steps to de-escalate tensions. “They are plunging the country into a spiral of violence,” Baerbock wrote. “They have a responsibility to stop the senseless violence and finally implement the peace agreement.”
South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011, has been plagued by political instability and violence for much of its short history. A brutal five-year civil war, which ended in 2018 with a peace agreement between Kiir and Machar, claimed the lives of more than 400,000 people.
Despite the peace deal, the relationship between the two leaders remains deeply strained.
The closure of the German embassy underscores growing international concern over the stability of South Sudan.
On 12 March, South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs assured citizens and the international community of the country’s stability, following a U.S. travel advisory urging non-emergency staff to leave amid reports of rising tensions.
The U.S. State Department issued the advisory on 8 March, citing political tensions and the widespread availability of weapons in South Sudan.