Local employees at the South Sudanese Embassy in Addis Ababa say they have gone years without consistent pay, leaving dozens of workers and their families in severe financial distress despite longstanding diplomatic ties between Ethiopia and South Sudan.

At least 20 staff members, including cleaners, security guards, gardeners, and administrative workers, report prolonged salary suspensions that have worsened significantly over the past two to three years. Many say the issue stretches back nearly a decade, but has now reached a critical point.

“The last salary we received was a single month’s payment in early February after waiting nine months,” one employee told Capital. “Since then, nothing has changed.”

Workers say the irregular payments have left them struggling to survive amid rising living costs and inflation in Ethiopia. Several report being forced to sell household belongings to cover basic expenses, while others face eviction due to unpaid rent.

“We are selling our furniture just to feed our families,” one employee said. “Our children have been pulled out of school because we cannot pay tuition.”

Previously, staff relied on small tips from visiting delegations to supplement their income, but they say even that coping mechanism has recently been prohibited. Fear of dismissal has also prevented collective action.

“If we protest or strike, we will be treated as if we resigned and lose our jobs,” another employee explained.

According to staff, embassy officials have repeatedly cited budget shortages or delayed fund disbursements as reasons for non-payment. However, the issue has escalated beyond the embassy level, drawing the attention of both countries’ foreign ministries.

Documents seen by Capital indicate that as early as 2023, employees had gone 10 to 11 months without pay. Correspondence from late 2024 confirms arrears had reached a full year.

The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) formally raised the issue in a letter dated August 1, 2024, urging the embassy to resolve the grievances of 19 affected employees. When no resolution followed by the requested August 27 deadline, embassy representatives were summoned for discussions with the MFA’s Directorate of Conciliation Affairs.

Internal embassy communications suggest the problem has long been known. In May 2021, South Sudan’s ambassador to Ethiopia, Natalina Edward Mou, wrote to her government requesting emergency payments and salary adjustments for staff.

In mid-August 2024, the embassy informed Ethiopian authorities it had paid four months of arrears. However, significant debts remained. By December 2024, the Ethiopian MFA issued another reminder, prompting the embassy to state it was issuing one month’s payment while promising to clear the remaining balance gradually.

Despite these intermittent payments, workers say the accumulated arrears—and the uncertainty—continue to take a heavy psychological toll.

Employees are now calling for immediate settlement of outstanding salaries, regular and timely payments going forward, and wage adjustments that reflect current exchange rates and the cost of living.

Efforts by Capital to obtain official responses from both the South Sudanese Embassy and the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs were unsuccessful. The publication states it will update the story should either party provide clarification.

Rwanda, Kigali 

For decades, international discourse has largely focused on Africa’s “potential”—a distant hope of what the continent could become. However, looking at regional hubs like Ethiopia and Kenya, the conversation has shifted from future promises to current results.

Experts urge this transformation is being spearheaded by hybrid seed technologies and integrated digital platforms, which are the primary engines driving the continent toward total food self-sufficiency. Africa’s agricultural growth was long stifled by “Western arrogance”—the tendency of European and North American institutions to impose rigid development models that were ill-suited for the African context.

Max Müller, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Public Affairs of Bayer AG told Capital at the sidelines of Africa CEO Forum, the era of giving directives to African farmers is coming to an end.

“For a long time, we Europeans—perhaps with good intentions—believed that economic development had to be done our way,” the official stated. “This is not a path to success because there is no ‘single’ Africa. What works in Kenya may not work in Côte d’Ivoire; what is effective in South Africa may not succeed in Morocco or South Sudan.”

Now, the primary role of international partners is to respect the continent’s diversity in soil, climate, and culture. Ag-tech companies are pivoting their focus toward localized solutions, training, and advisory services.

The argument for hybrid technology centers on its value proposition. As climate change and market volatility impact the prices of commodities like cocoa and maize, a farmer’s only defense is a reliable yield. High-quality fertilizers and crop protection tools are now viewed as essential investments rather than luxuries.

A major hurdle for African smallholder farmers has been accessing the credit needed to purchase modern inputs. Historically, banks viewed small-scale farming as a high-risk venture. However, the “digital revolution” in ag-tech is changing this perception.

Müller emphasized that anyone not currently active in Africa is missing out on the next great success story, noting that global food products—such as German chocolate—rely heavily on West African productivity. Addressing concerns that high-tech seeds and fertilizers are too expensive compared to traditional ones, he argued that the focus should be on quality rather than price.

High-quality inputs yield higher harvests, reduce waste, and improve a farmer’s creditworthiness. Consequently, digitally-supported agriculture is transforming the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.

Guided by the motto “Health for All, Hunger for None,” Bayer aims to benefit 100 million smallholder farmers globally by 2030, with a specific target of reaching 21.3 million farmers in Africa.