Africa-Press – South-Sudan. South Sudan’s newly-appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mayiik Ayii Deng has told staff members of the ministry during arrival at the ministry headquarters in Juba on Monday that the ministry of foreign affairs has no direct political affiliation.
“First and foremost, it’s my distinct honor to acknowledge your warm reception to the office. I promise all of you as I stated during the swearing-in ceremony that we have a number of pressing issues and challenges ahead of us. Top amongst them is our treaty obligations and rebranding our domestic image as an extension of our foreign policy agenda,” Deng told the foreign ministry staff.
“Today, the top agenda of our Government is the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS 2018) alongside our traditional functions to protecting our core values and interests, national security, ideological goals, and to achieve and maintain economic prosperity for all,” he added.
The South Sudanese diplomat further urged cooperation among him and the employees of the foreign ministry and said the ministry should avoid tribal and political rhetoric that contravenes the diplomatic work of the ministry.
“My dear management team let me remind you of what it will take for us to achieve this vision. Our diplomatic work requires cooperation, honesty, integrity, and commitment to our roles and responsibilities, while each of us must maintain and respect the chain of policy and administrative responsibilities. Remember, these actions reflect the image of the country,” he said.
“Equally important, I must say that as diplomats, we represent a national identity and that we are beyond and above our tribal and ethnic lines or affiliations. We have no direct political color either. It is therefore important to remain together and cohesive as diplomats,” he added.
Her further said “let me end by reminding you with the famous African proverb that “if you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together”. I therefore ask all of you today that before we go anywhere, we need to think about our priorities and plan our trip in the right way together and move forward as South Sudanese. In that way, I’m sure we will reach our destination.”
