Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Foreign Affairs Ministry has set pre-conditions for the reinstatement of 40 former diplomats who were dismissed three years ago.
In 2019, a public circular dismissing 40 diplomats was issued by the former undersecretary Ambassador Baak Valentino Wol. The circular seen by Eye Radio mentioned that the diplomats, who served in different foreign missions were dismissed for not reporting to work. The notice did not disclose why the diplomats refused to report to work at the time.
After their dismissal, the consuls questioned the legality of the decision, terming it ‘truly unlawful’ in reference to section 37 of the Diplomats and Consular Service Act 2011.However, the ministry requests those interested in returning to service to submit appeals for the reinstatement to the directorate of administration.
Ambassador Samuel Luate Lominsuk, who is the Director-General of Administration and Finance at the foreign ministry now urges the consuls to appeal for reinstatement before 15th July 2022.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation will like to inform the below listed diplomats who were dismissed from the ministry on 13th May 2019 through a public circular that the ministry has resolved to review conditions which led to the dismissal case by case,” reads the statement.Section 37-F of the Consular Service Act which talks about the terms of termination of service, states that absence from work for consecutive forty-five days without permission shall be considered a resignation.
Some of the diplomats Eye Radio contacted from outside the country said the reinstatement procedure is also unlawful. The diplomats who are listed in the circular said it is not legally binding to ask someone who has been dismissed to write an application for reinstatement.
The diplomats who refused to be named claimed their salaries were misused by some of the heads of missions and their arrears unpaid. Eye Radio’s efforts to contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment were not immediately successful. In the recent years, South Sudan reportedly closed some of its foreign missions due to financial constraints.
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