Kiir asks China for loan to cover AU membership arrears – official

Juba 24, 2020 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan’s president Salva Kiir Mayardit has requested a loan from the Chinese government to cover and settle the membership fees owed by the world’s youngest country to the African Union, the South Sudan News Now reports.

This comes a week after the country’s representative to the African Union, James Morgan, said in a letter addressed to the African Union that the country was sanctioned because of over $9 million membership fees which have not been paid by the country for three consecutive years.

“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,” a foreign ministry official was quoted by South Sudan News Now as saying.

The unnamed official further 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 organization.