European Country Closes Its Embassy in Juba

The Norwegian Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, that it would temporarily close its embassy in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, due to the deteriorating security situation there.

The Norwegian Foreign Ministry explained in a statement reported that the embassy will operate from the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, until further notice, and will resume operations in Juba when the situation allows.

Last week, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir dismissed the governor of Upper Nile State, where clashes have escalated between government forces and an ethnic militia he accuses of being allied with his rival, First Vice President Riek Machar.

The crisis has heightened fears that South Sudan could slide into conflict seven years after the end of a civil war that killed hundreds of thousands.