Philippines–South Sudan relations
Bilateral relations
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Philippines–South Sudan relations refers to the bilateral relationship between the Philippines and South Sudan. The Philippines recognized South Sudan as a sovereign state nearly a month after it declared its independence on 9 July 2011.[1] The Philippine embassy in Nairobi has jurisdiction over South Sudan since March 2013. This was held previously by the Philippine embassy in Cairo.[2]
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 Philippines |
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History
The Philippines officially recognized South Sudan as a sovereign and independent state soon after South Sudan declared its independence on July 9, 2011.[3] The Philippines and South Sudan established diplomatic relations through a Joint Communiqué signed by Philippine and South Sudanese ambassadors to Kenya, Domingo Lucenario Jr. and Majok Guandong Thiep at the United Nations Office at Nairobi on 13 March 2013. In a statement, Lucenario said the formal establishment of relations between the Philippines and South Sudan will be mutually beneficial "because [the two countries] would now be able to intensify relations in various common areas of cooperation.”[3] The two ambassadors also discussed the need to establish a Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation to identify various areas of cooperation to benefit the peoples of the Philippines and South Sudan.[3]
On April 13, 2016, President Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan accepted the credentials of Non-Resident Philippine Ambassador Bayani V. Mangibin.
On 14 June 2023, President Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan accepted the credentials of the first female Non-Resident Philippine Ambassador to South Sudan Marie Charlotte G. Tang coinciding with the 10th anniversary of Philippines-South Sudan diplomatic relations and the 125th anniversary of declaration of Philippine independence.[4]
Migrant workers
There are more than 300 Overseas Filipinos working in South Sudan.[5] On 13 January 2012, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration banned the deployment of Filipino workers to South Sudan due to the escalation of inter-ethnic violence in the country's Jonglei State. The ban was lifted two months later (on 22 March 2012) as the political and security situation in South Sudan improved.[6]
The deployment ban was reinstated during the South Sudanese Civil War which remained in place until 2021.[7][8][9][10]
Peacekeeping
The Philippine National Police has been sending contingents to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan since its independence.[11]