On Wednesday 16th March 2011 Dr Alastair McPhail arrived in Juba to take up his appointment as the British Consul General in Southern Sudan. Dr McPhail’s arrival marks the upgrading of the United Kingdom’s diplomatic mission in Juba to a Consulate General.
On arrival Dr McPhail said: “I am delighted to have arrived in Juba to take up my post. This is an historic period for Southern Sudan and the United Kingdom is committed to supporting the peaceful and prosperous development of this soon-to-be-born country. The United Kingdom is increasing its presence in Southern Sudan and the establishment of our Consulate General is a key step in strengthening the relationship between our two nations. I look forward to the years ahead.”
Dr McPhail has worked in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office for 17 years. From 1996 - 2000 he worked on the northern Iraqi Kurdish peace process. His most recent overseas roles have been as Minister and Deputy Head of Mission in the British Embassy in Rome, Italy and as the UK Special Envoy to Mali during a hostage crisis.
Most relevant to his current role was Dr McPhail’s work on Sudan from 2000-2005, first as Head of the Egypt Libya and Sudan Section in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, then as Head of the Sudan Unit – the UK’s interdepartmental team charged with supporting the Sudan peace process – and finally as the UK Special Representative for Sudan.
Dr McPhail attended every round of the negotiations on the Comprehensive Peace Agreement from the first session at Machakos to the final session at Naivasha.
The United Kingdom supports Southern Sudan with a range political and development activity. We provide substantial contributions to the UN mission in Sudan; and UKAid, from the Department for International Development (DFID), is providing over USD 130 million annually across a range of sectors, including health, education, water and sanitation, justice, security sector reform and humanitarian aid.
British Consulate General Juba, European Union Compound, Juba, Southern Sudan
Contact: beojuba@gmail.com