South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday they will be laying off staff at a number of foreign embassies due to the country’s economic crisis, but is not closing down any missions abroad.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and international cooperation is planning to reduce or downsize the staff in its embassies abroad,” the Ministry said in a press statement seen by Radio Tamazuj. “The country is not closing its embassies but rather reducing the number of staff to cut down expenditures due to the economic crisis in the country.”
The statement said the ministry can at any time increase or decrease the number of staff in its embassies abroad, something which is done everywhere in the world.
According to deputy minister Peter Bashir Gbandi, the layoffs have not yet been enacted.
“It is actually scaling out the number of staffs due to the economic crisis but not the shutdown of the embassies like other people are saying. It is being worked on and will be taken to the council of Ministers for approval,” he said.
File photo: Foreign affairs minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin
Related:
Lights go out at South Sudan Foreign Affairs Ministry due to fuel shortage (15 Jun.)