Kiir urges new foreign minister to address salary problem for diplomats

JUBA, SEPTEMBER 4, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Monday urged the newly appointed foreign minister James Pitia Morgan to address the salary problem for staff of the country’s diplomatic missions abroad.

Kiir made the appeal during the swearing in ceremony of the new minister who was appointed on Thursday night to replace Mayiik Ayii Deng who was removed in March this year.

“President Kiir has directed the new Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. James Pitia Morgan to address the financial challenges facing the foreign missions,” reads a statement by the presidency issued following the swearing in ceremony.

The president also urged the new minster “to bring his diverse expertise and insights to the table, emphasizing the need for a collaborative approach in advancing the nation’s foreign policy and welfare of the staff in the foreign missions,” the statement added.

According to the statement, the minister promised to do “his best to build a participatory leadership in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for effective execution of its mandate.”

Morgan is a close ally of Kiir and hails from the Central Equatoria State’s Kajo-keji County.

He was South Sudan’s ambassador to Ethiopia, the representative to the AU and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) at the time of his appointment.

His appointment is seen as a move by Kiir to consolidate his power and control over the foreign ministry.

The foreign ministry is a key post in South Sudan, as it is responsible for the country’s relations with the international community.