S. Sudan asks China for $12m to settle AU membership arrears

June 24, 2020 News, Newsbeat, South Sudan

South Sudanese president, Salva Kiir and a Chinese government prime minister Li Keqiang(Photo source: Nyamilepedia)

Juba 24, 2020 (SSNN) – South Sudan government has asked the Chinese government for a $12 million fee to settle membership fees because of which it was sanctioned by the African Union, a senior government official has said.

Last week, the South Sudan ambassador to Addis Ababa and the country’s head of mission to the African Union, James Morgan, said in a letter addressed to the ministry of foreign affairs that the country has been sanctioned and that the diplomats were expelled from a meeting.

Speaking to South Sudan News Now this afternoon, a senior government official at the ministry of foreign affairs in Juba said the government had asked China on Monday for a $12 million loan to cover the fees.

He said the Chinese government has agreed but will first study the request and would respond within this week.

“We are going to pay this money in a week’s time. The Chinese government has been asked by the government here and they agreed but they said they will first study the request for a loan and they will hopefully reply within this week,” the official said from Juba.

It however remains unclear why the government would request an amount like that when it only owes the AU $9 million.

The official also said the country was preparing to pay its membership fees at the Eastern African Community (EAC) and said by the end of the year, South Sudan government would be free from any money owed to international and regional organizations.