South Sudan’s cabinet has approved payment of 100 million united states dollars to settle more than five years unpaid arrears of diplomats serving in its foreign missions.

The world’s youngest nation takes months to pay its civil servants and years to pay diplomats serving in foreign missions around the world.

Senior government officials have always cited the effects of war and economic hardships resulting from the war as the reason behind the delay in paying salaries.

Diplomats have always complained about threats of evictions from properties they have rented as well as defaulting other commitments requiring payment in fulfillment of their mandate.

The payment once approved and wired, would cover salaries, rent, and upkeep of the diplomats serving in the foreign missions.

The information minister Michael Makuei Lueth told the media on Friday that the cabinet in its regular meeting has approved 100 million dollars for payment of the arrears of the diplomats in foreign service.

“The minister of foreign affairs presented a request for the payment of arrears of the salaries of the embassies which is to the sum of over $100 million,” information minister Michael Makuei told reporters on Friday.

He said the money approved by the council of ministers will be used to pay for the arrears that have been outstanding all this time.

“We need to clear all the arrears so that we are respected internationally”, stressed Makuei.

The government has been struggling to maintain its foreign missions, citing a lack of money despite continuing to receive money from the flow of oil revenue.