South Sudan fires ghost diplomats

South Sudan has sacked 40 of its overseas diplomats after they failed to show up for work. In a memo, the South Sudanese Foreign Ministry confirmed that the individuals had been on unauthorised leave for months or even years. BBC News reports that it said after fruitless attempts to contact and persuade them to return to work in the capital, Juba, it had no option but to dismiss them. The affected embassies are in Uganda, Kenya, the US and UK. A report on the News24 site notes that Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mawien Makol dismissed suggestions the firings were a cost-saving exercise for South Sudan's cash-strapped government. Juba has closed a number of missions abroad in recent years, and staff in some embassies have complained of pay cheques being delayed. ‘It is just a normal procedure and it has nothing to do with economic challenges,’ Makol said.