Australia, Canada to have S. Sudan embassies

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has said there are over 90,000 South Sudanese living in Australia and Canada without a South Sudan embassy to cater for their affairs.

The IOM report states that there are 50,000 South Sudanese in Australia and 40,000 in Canada respectively. Most of them settled in the countries around 1986 to 2013.

The report also indicates the South Sudanese living abroad have suffered massive cultural erosion thanks to their observance of the laws of the host countries. 

For instance in Australia, the law authorizes women to have full control of their children’s Bank Account. 

The Director of the Council of Service Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Amb Ruben Marial Benjamin said the government plans to open embassies in the two countries to provide proper services to its citizens living in Canada and Australia.

“The Minister Mayiik Ayii Deng is thinking of opening up the embassies in the two countries Australia and Canada. Five years ago we tried and the response from Australia was okay but Canada still has a loophole with the government,” Marial said.

He made the statement during the launch of policy research with a focus on the South Sudanese Community in Australia.

Ambassador Marial stressed that there was an underway plan to bring South Sudanese who are in the diaspora to help in nation-building since most of them have technical skills required development.

“It is now also very difficult for our citizens in the diaspora to balance the economic crisis we are in because for them they make $2000 within two weeks but for us here $20 in a month so they are also looking at that point,” he said.

Speaking on the same occasion, the Director-General in the Department of Political Affairs for Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dhano Obongo who was once a refugee in Australia said the 2013 conflict had divided most South Sudanese that made it very difficult to convince them to come and invest home.

 “The political instability back home here has created a lot of misinformation going there that forced many communities in Australia to move to Canada and the USA and it discouraged them to come back home,” he said.   

Wooing them back

The Chief of Mission International Organisation for Migration South Sudan, Peter van Der Auweraert, said people in the diaspora should be remembered because they have contributed to the achievement of the independence of South Sudan.

He said they supported the peace process and development, adding that the money they sent to South Sudan stands at 6.7 percent of GDP 

“The government should create a conducive environment so that they can put the money into better usage for the development of this country,” he said.

About 2. 3 million South Sudanese were forced to flee the country to neighboring countries of Sudan, Uganda, and Kenya due to the conflict that broke out in 2013 and July 2016 J1 fighting. More than 1.6 million are living in the displaced camps within the country.