SOUTH SUDAN PARLIAMARY COMMITTEE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS ACCUSED MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS FOR SENDING OUT INCOMPETENT DIPLOMATS IN FOREIGN MISSIONS
Juba 17 December 2015; The committee for foreign affairs in south Sudan National Legislative Assembly summoned Dr Barnaba Marial Benjamin, minister of foreign affair and international cooperation to explain what it describes as a ‘failure of the ministry” in promoting the image and marketing south Sudan in foreign countries.
The summon of Marial comes after the recent public humiliation of south Sudanese diplomats in its Washington DC Mission, south Sudan’s diplomats were blasted by Bob Corker, chairman of the United States Senate committee on Foreign Relations. South Sudanese diplomats were invited to attend the forum organized to hear the briefing on south Sudan by title “Independent South Sudan: A failure of leadership.” The diplomats were invited as observers as such they were not allow to speak at the hearing.
“I don’t know how representatives of South Sudan can show up at these types of meetings without being totally embarrassed by the actions of their government,” said Bob Corker chairman of US senate committee on foreign relations.
“You’re targeting aid workers. I would be embarrassed to be in a hearing like this. I would be embarrassed to send out the kind of press release that you sent out prior to this hearing. I don’t know what kind of government you represent.” Senate Corker challenged the south Sudan diplomat who felt like vanishing from the surface of the earth in the presence of cameras.
Meanwhile in Juba the committee for foreign affairs in south Sudan Legislative assembly has accused, south Sudan foreign affair ministry for employing unqualified, and incompetent personnel and sent them to represent south Sudan in foreign missions.
The committee further accuses the ministry of Foreign Affair and international cooperation for being what it says the “weakest” yet it receives nearly $ 9 million monthly making it to be one the biggest recipients.
The committee chairman Thon says he has been trying to get the foreign minister to testify before parliamentary committee over the matter, but the Minister in charge responded only twice out of the ten letters summoning him to appear before the committee for hearing.
However, the spokesperson of the ministry of foreign affairs, Mr. Mawie, denies his boss rejection to appear before the parliamentary committee, saying Dr Barnaba did not receive any letter of summon for him to appear before the house committee for foreign affairs. And said his boss will not respond to summon until he receives official letter from the committee.
What is truth about the accusation is that most of the embassies workers ( diplomats) representing south Sudan in foreign missions are incompetent, some of them have no qualifications at all, it is also known the appointments of the diplomats are done on basis of tribalism not on educational qualification and credentials.
Justin. S. Kwaje
Juba, RoSS
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