Norway has announced the temporary closure of its embassy in South Sudan’s capital, Juba, due to the worsening security situation in the country. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs made the decision amid escalating violence between government forces and an ethnic militia in Upper Nile state.
The tensions intensified after South Sudanese President Salva Kiir dismissed the governor of Upper Nile, accusing the militia of aligning with his political rival, First Vice President Riek Machar. The ongoing conflict has raised fears that South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, could relapse into war just seven years after emerging from a brutal civil conflict that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.
Until further notice, the Norwegian embassy’s operations will be conducted from Nairobi, Kenya. “The Juba mission will be reopened when the situation allows,” the Norwegian foreign ministry stated.
Melissa Enoch
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