South Sudan U-turn on banning foreign workers

South Sudan's government says it will not ban foreign workers, annulling a decree it issued a day earlier.

Contrary to reports, there was no policy ordering foreign workers to leave by 15 October, Foreign Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin said.

Thousands of people working for aid agencies and private firms would have been affected by the decree.

On Tuesday, the charity Oxfam warned that the bans would negatively affect aid programmes in South Sudan.

Nearly two million people have fled their homes since two factions of the ruling party fell out in December.

Thousands of people have died in the fighting and aid agencies say up to four million people are at risk of food shortages because of the crisis.

BBC