The Norwegian authorities have announced that the country has decided to temporarily shut its embassy in South Sudan’s capital, Juba.
As explained by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway, this decision was taken in light of the deteriorating security situation in the country, Schengen.News reports.
While the current situation in South Sudan primarily affects the civilian population, the Ministry stressed that it also has consequences for the safety and freedom of movement of Norwegian embassy workers.
Taking into account such concerns, the Ministry said that the embassy will remain closed until further notice.
The security situation in South Sudan has deteriorated significantly recently. This primarily affects the civilian population in the country, but also has consequences for the safety and freedom of movement of our employees. We have therefore chosen to close the embassy in Juba until further notice.
During the time that the Norwegian embassy is closed, work will be carried out from Nairobi, Kenya’s capital. This means that consular services will continue to be available to South Sudan passport holders despite the embassy being closed temporarily in Juba.
Norway is not the only EU country that has chosen to close its embassy in South Sudan temporarily. Germany also announced on Sunday that it is closing its embassy in Juba in light of the escalating violence.
The German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that the South Sudan authorities have the responsibility to stop violence and implement the peace agreement. The Minister further highlighted that the safety of the embassy employees is a top priority.
Norway Has Also Tightened Travel Advice for South Sudan
In addition to temporarily shutting its embassy in South Sudan, Norway has also tightened its travel advice for South Sudan.
Since 2022, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has advised against all travel to South Sudan.
Considering the current unstable situation in the country, the Ministry has now decided to raise the travel advice to the highest level, urging all Norwegian citizens to leave South Sudan if they are in the country.
The new travel advice is: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against all travel to South Sudan and urges Norwegian citizens to leave the country.
The tightening of the travel advice comes as the Foreign Service of Norway currently has limited opportunities to provide consular assistance to Norwegian citizens in South Sudan.