Official Opening of the South African Consulate-General in Juba, Southern Sudan, 1 April 2009

Juba– South African Ambassador to the Republic of the Sudan, Dr Manelisi Genge, supported by two Senior Officials from the Department, Graham Maitland and Mr G Setlhoke, will on today, Wednesday 1 April 2009 officially open the South African Consulate-General in Juba, Southern Sudan.

The opening of the Consulate in Juba will consolidate South Africa’s presence in the Sudan and strengthen the support for peace efforts and the implementation of the post-conflict reconstruction and development related projects in Southern Sudan, including the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which was signed in 2005 marking an end to the civil war in the Sudan.

South Africa – Sudan Bilateral Relations

South Africa and Sudan enjoy good bilateral relations and the Minister is the chair of the African Union Ministerial Committee on Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development of the Sudan.

South Africa’s involvement in the Sudan regarding the post – conflict reconstruction and development, is led by the Department of Foreign Affairs in partnership with UNISA and the Government of Southern Sudan in respect of Capacity and Institution Building Project for Southern Sudan which has, to date, trained over 1000 Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) officials in the following areas:

• Leadership
• Governance
• Public Service and Administration;
• Public Finance and Management;
• Intergovernmental Relations;
• Judiciary and Legal Affairs;
• Police
• Correctional Services;
• Government Communication;
• Information Communication and Technology
• Diplomacy and International Relations; and
• Local Government and Management

South Africa has also deployed peacekeepers and civilian police in Darfur as part of the United Nations-African Union Peacekeeping Mission in Sudan (UNAMID) and it continues to support the Darfur peace efforts through bilateral and multilateral mechanisms.

Economic Relations

Trade figures between South Africa and the Sudan have increased in favour of South Africa.

South African exports to Sudan include base metals, machinery, wood pulp, plastics and chemicals while imports from Sudan include vegetables, animal fats, plastics and machinery.

On 26 February 2009, the Department of Foreign Affairs in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry hosted a successful Breakfast Roundtable discussion between South African Companies and Ministers from the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) with the aim of unveiling investment opportunities for South African companies in Southern Sudan.

Opening of the Consulate-General

The opening of the South African Consulate-General in Southern Sudan, to be based in Juba, will contribute to facilitating the movement of business people between the two countries thus ensuring the flow of investment to both countries, as well as paving the way for people to people contact between South Africans and the Sudanese from Southern Sudan.

Issued by Nomfanelo Kota at 082-459-3787

Department of Foreign Affairs
P/Bag X152
Pretoria
0001

01 April 2009.