Ottawa shuts the doors of embassy in South Sudan without explanation

Just days after celebrating the opening of a Canadian embassy in West Africa, Ottawa is declining to explain why it has quietly suspended operations at its embassy in South Sudan.

Canada has long been a supporter of South Sudan, the world’s youngest country. The abrupt shutdown of its diplomatic mission is sending mixed messages about the federal government’s Africa Strategy, which it unveiled last year, analysts say.

Last week, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand officially opened the new embassy in Cotonou, the economic hub of Benin, calling it “a major operational milestone that enhances Canada’s diplomatic presence.” Ottawa had first promised the embassy in 2024 and repeated the promise in its Africa Strategy.

But later in the same week, a terse notice was added to the website of the embassy in South Sudan, saying it had “temporarily suspended its operations.”

Renelle Arsenault, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, confirmed the suspension but did not answer questions from The Globe and Mail about whether it was a result of budget cuts, security concerns or other factors.

“Global Affairs Canada continually assesses and adjusts Canada’s diplomatic footprint based on a range of factors, such as foreign policy priorities, cost and security considerations,” she said in an e-mailed response.

The department has no plans to reduce its foreign aid to South Sudan, and the management of Canada’s relationship with the country will be transferred to its embassy in Ethiopia, she added.

In addition to the embassy shutdown, there are other signs that Ottawa is cutting back its presence in Africa, despite the Africa Strategy’s promises of a stronger Canadian engagement with the continent.

Canada cuts its UN peacekeeping forces as it tilts to Europe and Indo-Pacific

Last month, Ottawa announced the withdrawal of its troops from United Nations peacekeeping missions in several countries, including two in Africa. It has also left empty the post of special envoy to Africa, which became vacant in June after the retirement of Ben Marc Diendéré.

“Future announcement regarding the Special Envoy for Africa will be made in due course,” Ms. Arsenault told The Globe in reply to questions about the vacancy.

Staff cuts at Global Affairs and reductions in Canada’s foreign aid budget, both announced in the federal budget last November, are also expected to hamper the Africa Strategy’s pledges.

Nicholas Coghlan, a former Canadian ambassador to South Sudan, said he has learned that the embassy terminated the employment of all its local staff, including some who had worked there for a decade, in an indication that it will not soon reopen.

The embassy shutdown came shortly after the announcement that Canada will withdraw its small contingent of troops from the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, which has heightened the “sense of abandonment” in the country, Mr. Coghlan told The Globe.

“At a time when the overriding priority of our foreign policy is diversification of our relationships, what sense does it make to be reducing our diplomatic footprint anywhere?” he asked. “It’s by no means clear what the Africa Strategy now is, if there is one.”

Chris Roberts, a political scientist and Africa specialist at the University of Calgary, said the government is “dragging its feet” on filling the vacant post of special envoy for Africa. “This and other unmet promises from the Africa Strategy send mixed signals about Canada’s seriousness to revitalize its partnerships across the continent,” he told The Globe.

Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, an industrialist and oil-refinery owner who is widely described as the wealthiest man in Africa, said he discussed the Africa Strategy in a meeting last week with Prime Minister Mark Carney. His company, Dangote Group, released photos of the two men shaking hands in the Prime Minister’s office.

“Africa offers significant opportunities for investment, innovation, and trade, while Canada remains an attractive destination for long-term capital and strategic collaboration,” Mr. Dangote said in a statement after the meeting.

Mr. Carney did not mention the meeting with Mr. Dangote in his official schedule or readouts last week. His deputy director of communications, Audrey Champoux, told The Globe that the two men “did meet briefly.”

Mr. Carney’s press secretary, Sofia Ouslis, said Mr. Carney met with the Nigerian business leader to discuss “the philanthropic efforts of the Dangote Foundation and opportunities for Canadian energy.” They also discussed “their shared commitment to accessible health care, education and relief aid,” she said in reply to questions from The Globe.