South Sudan approves 100 mln USD to clear outstanding debt of foreign missions — ADDIS ABABA,ETHIOPIA – JUNE 22: Michael Makuei Lueth, Information Ministry spokesman of South Sudan speaks to media after the extraordinary summit of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in Addis Ababa,Ethiopia on June 22,2018 . (Photo by Minasse Wondimu Hailu/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

South Sudan’s transitional unity government has approved 100 million U.S. dollars to settle outstanding debt owed to its foreign missions since 2015 when it decided to shut down some of them.

Michael Makuei Lueth, minister of Information and Broadcasting, said Sunday the Ministry of Finance has been directed to release the cash to settle the debt, adding that the youngest nation of the world is losing membership in various international organizations over the same time.

“Some of our missions and embassies are in (financial) crisis, others have closed down. We are also losing membership in some of the organizations, be it regional or international, simply because we have not been paying our fees,” Makuei told journalists in Juba.

In 2015, the country was forced to downsize the number of its diplomats due to a financial crunch caused by the more than six years of conflict since outbreak in December 2013.