TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
RI's plan to open embassy in South Sudan must consider political, security risks: Experts
Before opening an embassy in South Sudan, experts say Indonesia must consider security conditions, political stability and the overall impact on international relations of establishing a diplomatic presence in the world's youngest country
Change Size
B
efore opening an embassy in South Sudan, experts say Indonesia must consider security conditions, political stability and the overall impact on international relations of establishing a diplomatic presence in the world's youngest country.
Centre of Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) experts conveyed these concerns during their meeting with lawmakers from the House of Representatives' Commission I, which oversees international affairs, to discuss the government's plan to open an embassy in South Sudan.
During the meeting, they concluded that Indonesia must take into account political and social stability in Sudan if it aims to open an embassy in the country. Opening an embassy during the current crisis might prevent the South Sudanese government from fulfilling its bilateral relation duties or protecting Indonesian assets in the country.
CSIS researcher Shofwan Al Banna Choiruzzard said that apart from considering the political and security situation, Indonesia must also assess the economic benefits of opening an embassy in South Sudan, as any conflict within a country would severely hamper the government's focus on international relations.
'Opening an embassy in South Sudan is more about how we can find a proper time to do it. For diplomatic purposes, it is needed because we already have diplomatic relations with the country. We also have to consider whether or not the money invested in the opening of the embassy is profitable for us,' Shofwan said on Monday.
Another CSIS researcher Philips J. Vermonte added that if Indonesia wanted to go ahead with its plan to open an embassy in South Sudan, it should first and foremost ensure that the plan was intended primarily to protect Indonesia's national assets in the country.
Indonesia immediately recognized South Sudan as a sovereign nation after its declared independence from Sudan in 2011. Currently, South Sudan-related matters are handled by the Indonesian Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan.
South Sudan is still in the midst of a civil war that started in 2013, stemming from ethnic unrest between the Dinka and Nuer tribes. (ebf)(+++)
