South Sudan: Netherlands maintains its embassy in Juba

The Netherlands has decided not to close its embassy in Juba, a decision announced on September 15 by Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen as part of a review of the diplomatic network. The Dutch government justifies this decision by citing the humanitarian situation in South Sudan.

The Hague has also decided to allocate an additional €35 million to its external representation budget. This funding reduces the previously planned structural cut of €70 million for the network of embassies and consulates by half.

The closure of the Juba representation had been announced for 2025 as part of these budget cuts, but it had not yet been implemented. The official Dutch portal continues to list the embassy on Airport Drive in the South Sudanese capital, with opening hours during the week.

The review does not affect all planned closures. The Dutch embassies in Tripoli, Bujumbura, Yangon, and Harare are still set to close, as is the consulate general in Rio de Janeiro. Dutch interests in these countries will be taken over by other regional representations.

The government also plans to strengthen its presence in Damascus and is considering the potential opening of embassies in Podgorica, Montenegro, and Windhoek, Namibia, in cooperation with Belgium and Luxembourg.

According to the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the network currently includes 113 embassies and 27 consulates general worldwide.