Diplomatic relations between Germany and South Sudan were established on 9 July 2011, the day on which South Sudan became an independent state.

The German Government’s support for stabilisation focuses on advancing the implementation of the renewed peace agreement of 2018. It includes improving rule-of-law structures, fostering reconciliation and strengthening civil society, preparing free and fair elections and paving the way for a new constitution. To this end, Germany makes a significant contribution to the UN’s South Sudan Reconciliation, Stabilisation and Resilience Trust Fund, and has approximately a dozen soldiers participating in the United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

South Sudan has a population of over 12 million people. Roughly 9 million of these people are reliant on humanitarian assistance. This figure includes some 2 million internally displaced persons and an additional 2.3 million refugees in the neighbouring countries. The German Government is one of the largest donors providing humanitarian assistance.

In the field of development cooperation, efforts focus on helping groups who are particularly in need, above all women and children, internally displaced persons, refugees and host communities, as quickly and effectively as possible. The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) seeks to improve the living conditions of these groups and to enhance their resilience in crisis situations; it is using its crisis instruments with a view to achieving these aims. In the same way, it is endeavouring to create structures that support the long-term development of the country, above all in the fields of food security and rural development, water supply and sanitation, and strengthening local administrative structures.

In the sphere of culture and education, the German Embassy in Juba supports a small but active scene involving literary figures, filmmakers (and the Juba Film Festival), musicians and dance groups.