The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday announced that a decision has been taken to terminate the services of a “number of Heads of Missions especially those who might have enjoyed an extended tenure of duty beyond the official limit.”
A statement from the Ministry did not reveal the identities of the diplomats or state how many of them will be recalled.
“As it is well known, the tenure of an Ambassador runs to approximately three to five years. However, for a variety of reasons and factors, some of our Ambassadors have been abroad for as long as two decades,” the Foreign Ministry said.
According to the statement, these diplomats have been impeding on the progress of younger Foreign Service Officers.
“This situation has become an impediment to other younger and rising Foreign Service Officers whose performance and professional competence might require that they should be appointed to the summit of the Foreign Service. A subsequent announcement will be made on this particular matter.”
“It is the wish and expectation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that this statement on the on-going exercise within the Ministry will help to allay any concerns and put to rest any and all surmisings and or misrepresentations that may have arisen in the public domain concerning this normal administrative undertaking,” the statement concluded.
