South Sudan’s government has reinstated Joseph Africano Bartel as Undersecretary of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, months after his suspension, which disrupted access to international climate finance and delayed environmental legislation.
Caretaker Cabinet Affairs Minister Martin Elia Lomuro issued an order on 28 September lifting Bartel’s suspension with immediate effect and directing him to resume his duties.
The order said the reinstatement was needed to ensure continuity of government services following the dissolution of the cabinet and the absence of a substantive environment minister.
Bartel told journalists in Juba on Monday that his suspension had created uncertainty over his role as South Sudan’s national designated authority for major international climate funds.
“I was the NDA focal point for the Green Climate Fund, and also for the Adaptation Fund, and also the political focal point for the Global Environment Facility,” he said.
He said South Sudan had missed a funding cycle and that projects worth tens of millions of dollars could be delayed, although the money had not necessarily been lost.
The ministry said projects already under implementation had continued during his suspension. Undersecretary for Forestry Jaden Tongun Emilio said the main disruption involved new funding and projects in the pipeline.
Bartel also said his suspension had delayed two major pieces of legislation covering environmental protection and forestry. The bills had undergone consultations and validation before being submitted to the Ministry of Justice, but were later returned for further review.
The proposed laws would establish dedicated authorities for environmental protection and forestry management.
Bartel said he was never told why he had been suspended in February and that no disciplinary process was completed within the required period.
He said he had decided to return to work without seeking confrontation and would focus on reviving environmental legislation, climate-finance proposals and programmes to tackle deforestation.
South Sudan faces growing environmental pressures, including drought, flooding and widespread dependence on charcoal and firewood.
Bartel called for greater investment in alternative energy sources such as solar and hydropower, saying reducing reliance on charcoal is essential to protecting the country’s forests.
The reinstatement comes as South Sudan operates under a caretaker government following the dissolution of the cabinet, with the country also yet to pass a national budget.
“We are not here to save ourselves, but our nation,” Bartel told journalists.
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