Canada shutters embassy in South Sudan, further reducing diplomatic presence in East Africa   – The Hill Times

Canada’s foreign ministry says it is “temporarily” ceasing its mission in South Sudan, which a former envoy in Juba described as a “roundabout way of saying the embassy is closing.” 

Global Affairs Canada (GAC) confirmed to The Hill Times on Aug. 8 that the Canadian Embassy in South Sudan is “temporarily suspending operations” in response to questions about the future administration of the mission. 

After questions from this newspaper, the embassy’s website was updated to note the suspension of activities. 

GAC’s response did not explain the reason for the suspension of operations. A follow-up question wasn’t immediately answered. 

“Unless you say it’s on account of a security situation or pending certain conditions, it’s a slightly roundabout way of saying the embassy is closing,” said Nicholas Coghlan, who served as Canada’s first resident ambassador in South Sudan. 

GAC noted that responsibility for consular services was transferred to its mission in Ethiopia on July 13. 

“The management of Canada’s bilateral relationship with South Sudan and other political-economic responsibilities will transfer to the Embassy of Canada in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in August 2026,” department spokesperson Samantha Lafleur said in an email. 

Coghlan said that Canada hasn’t signalled that a new ambassador would be appointed for South Sudan. Joanne Minns, its most recent ambassador in the country, was named as Canada’s next ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in a June 30 press release, which noted that she will take up the posting in the “coming weeks.” 

Coghlan said that he was “disappointed, but not all that surprised” to see the embassy suspended. He said that it doesn’t make sense to reduce Canada’s diplomatic presence anywhere at a time when the federal government is urging diversification.   

Canada’s embassy in Sudan has been shuttered since 2023 amid the ongoing civil war. Like South Sudan now, the diplomatic coverage for the mission in Khartoum was given to Ethiopia. The embassy in Addis Ababa also has jurisdiction over Djibouti. It also supports Canada’s permanent observer to the African Union. 

Budgets cuts, security concerns likely behind suspension: former envoy 

Coghlan noted that there could be budgetary or security concerns at play with the decision to cease operations at the South Sudan mission. 

“No question, South Sudan is an edgy place. Since the embassy has been stood up, it’s had to shut down twice on account of security issues. And it’s not getting any less edgy,” he said, remarking that there is a potential security crisis approaching in December when elections are scheduled. 

Germany and Norway paused operations of their embassies in South Sudan amid the outbreak of clashes last year, but both have since reopened. The Netherlands ended its mission in South Sudan last year due to budget cuts.

Canada’s embassy in Juba is rated at the highest level of hardship postings, where diplomats are not allowed to bring along a spouse or children. 

Coghlan said that there has always been tension between diplomats on the ground and those responsible for security back at headquarters who take an increasingly cautious approach. 

“Over the years, it’s no secret that headquarters has become more risk averse,” he said, remarking that some added security gives the mission little practical use at a great cost. When he was heading the mission, a Canadian military police officer was posted there, but wasn’t authorized to drive the mission’s armoured vehicle and was mainly checking locks on the doors. 

Coghlan noted that it is “relatively expensive” to maintain a mission in Juba. 

Based on information that GAC provided to the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee in 2022, Canada had six diplomats posted to South Sudan at the time, as well as 11 local staff.

The decision to suspend operations comes as GAC is undergoing billions of dollars of budget cuts. That included a recent reversal of diplomatic coverage for Africa where responsibility for Madagascar and Mauritius was to be moved from South Africa to Zimbabwe and Mozambique, respectively. Those changes were cancelled in January as they were deemed “no longer feasible” amid budget cuts, as previously reported by The Hill Times. 

As part of the 2025 Africa strategy, Canada had pledged to deepen its diplomatic engagement in the continent. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand (Oakville East, Ont.) was in Africa last week where she presided over the opening of a new embassy in Benin. 

Coghlan said that the Canadian government has been focusing on trade and investment, and there aren’t any significant opportunities in South Sudan. 

Prime Minister Mark Carney (Nepean, Ont.) indicated to reporters last year that developing ties with Africa wasn’t a top priority as his focus was on regions with the “most immediate return” on economic opportunities. 

The Department of National Defence recently announced that it would be ending its troop commitment to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan by mid-2027. It was part of a series of peacekeeping mission closures and reductions, as reported by The Hill Times. Canada deployed nine peacekeepers to the UN mission in South Sudan as of April, according to UN figures. 

An eye on foreign aid 

Coghlan said that the primary purpose of Canada’s embassy in South Sudan is to be a platform for the delivery of humanitarian aid and development assistance. 

“If you really want to be accountable for the Canadian dollars, you need to be out on the ground looking at the needs,” he said.

In 2024-25, South Sudan was the 10^th-highest destination for Canadian international assistance, being earmarked $91-million in bilateral aid and $23-million in multilateral assistance. The 2025 budget pledged to cut Canada’s foreign aid contribution by $2.7-billion over four years. 

“If you are spending that amount of money, you need people on the ground to see that it is well spent,” Coghlan said. 

Lafleur said Canada’s aid to South Sudan won’t be affected by suspending the operations of the embassy.

“Canada remains involved in South Sudan through ongoing international assistance and continued diplomatic engagement. No project terminations or reductions in existing multilateral or humanitarian support are planned,” she said. 

Lafleur said that the placing responsibility for South Sudan with Canada’s mission in Ethiopia will “support co-ordination with international partners as many countries already manage their diplomatic relations with South Sudan from Ethiopia.” 

Coghlan said that given the priorities of Canada’s mission in Ethiopia, the ambassador would be “doing well” if he can visit South Sudan once a quarter. 

“The ambassador in Ethiopia will already have his hands full 100 per cent with [their] own issues,” he said, remarking that when Canada chooses to put in place “double-hatted” ambassadors, they lose presence and credibility. 

“By coming down once every three months or sending a diplomatic note, it doesn’t cut it,” he said.

nmoss@hilltimes.com

The Hill Times

 

Neil Moss covers federal politics, foreign policy, international trade, Canada-U.S. relations, and defence. He has been a reporter with The Hill Times since 2018. You can reach him at nmoss@hilltimes.com. See all stories BY NEIL MOSS