David Ashley

My 🇸🇸 Bird Photo of the Week: an African Pied Wagtail in Juba, #SouthSudan. #BirdsSeenin2026

“It’s not just the @UN that lost a leader, humanity has lost one of its truest champions.” #UNMISS colleagues pay tribute to Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in #SouthSudan 🇸🇸. His extraordinary contributions to peace will continue to inspire us🕊️

#EidMubarak to Muslims celebrating in #SouthSudan and around the world. Wishing you a day full of joy and peace.

Fink was an exceptional diplomat and a remarkable human being who held a deep belief in justice. I admired his wisdom and remain grateful for his generous mentorship during his tenure as SRSG in Afghanistan. He championed the UN’s role in empowering domestic actors, and his legacy will endure in the many lives he touched.

I am deeply saddened at the death of UNSRSG Nicholas Haysom. I had the pleasure of first knowing Fink in Afghanistan. A man of great intelligence & integrity, Fink achieved so much in an extraordinary life dedicated to peace & justice. May his legacy be peace in South Sudan.

Victory on the night, but our Champions League campaign comes to an end.

Substantive meeting with Minister of Finance & Planning, Hon. Salvatore Garang Mabiordit, & his team today. We discussed public financial management reform including regular payment of civil service salaries, debt transparency & increasing state funding for health & education.

A very noisy Eastern Plantain-Eater seen (from afar) in Wau, north-west #SouthSudan. Oddly, they apparently rarely eat plantains! My 🇸🇸 Bird of the Week. #BirdsSeenIn2026

Two powerful days in Wau as Amb. Minns joined UK, EU & UNICEF to launch Back‑to‑Learning. From classrooms to clinics, we heard from mothers, students & frontline staff. She called for peace, stronger services, govt leadership & timely pay for teachers and health workers.

🇬🇧 is supporting the health of mothers & babies across #SouthSudan, with @unicef & partners. At Sika Hadid clinic in Wau, the 🇨🇦 Ambassador & I met some of those benefiting from integrated immunization & nutrition services, including these mums who’ve fled the war in #Sudan.

Can't help feeling upbeat when meeting these kids - & their teachers - at Lokoloko Primary School in Wau, determined to keep learning despite the real challenges. 🇬🇧 & 🇨🇦 are helping Lokoloko & schools across #SouthSudan through @GirlsEdSS & @GPforEducation with @unicefssudan.

Canadian and UK diplomats and aid officials from UNICEF, visiting health facilities in Wau have called for peace and increased investment to strengthen South Sudan’s fragile health system. #ssox eyeradio.org/canadian-uk-di…

🇬🇧 has supported 1.5m 🇸🇸 girls and children with disabilities to attend school since independence in 2011. Yet far too many kids still aren't in school. Delighted to visit Wau with 🇨🇦🇪🇺 & @UNICEF colleagues to help launch the Ministry of Education's "Back to Learning" campaign.

South Sudan: @volker_turk urges immediate ceasefire, horrified by growing accounts of serious violations including killings of civilians, destruction and poisoning of key water sources, and fresh waves of mass displacement. ohchr.org/en/press-relea…

Strengthening health systems across 🇸🇸 is vital. Ambassador @Davidwillashley visited a new UK-funded immunisation clinic at Renk County Hospital. Vaccinations children will receive here are life-saving, protecting them from preventable diseases like measles, polio & TB. #UKAid

Happy International Women’s Day! Through #UKAid funding, the THRIVE project is empowering South Sudanese women. 💪 Access to training & loans is enabling women, like these we met in Renk, to build small businesses & support their family. #IWD2026 #WomenEmpowerment

During my visit to Renk (north-eastern #SouthSudan), I had no time to look for birds but there are lots around. Here in 1 photo are pretty Northern Carmine Bee-Eaters; Cattle Egrets; a Spur-Wing Lapwing; & a Wattled Plover. My 🇸🇸 Bird Photo of the Week. #BirdsSeenin2026

In Renk the impact of the #Sudan war is stark. Over 1.3M people have fled to #SouthSudan, 900,00 through the Wunthou‑Joda crossing. With UK funding, humanitarian agencies are providing vulnerable refugees & returnees with essential support including health & nutrition. @UKaid

Delighted to celebrate IWD with some South Sudanese civil society activists, and to hear stories of courage and hope towards building Rights, Justice and Action for All Women. #IWD2026

Decades of progress! The @UKinSouthSudan support to education in 🇸🇸 has changed countless lives. Yesterday, the British Embassy and Mott MacDonald held a roundtable to discuss the long-term impact of @GirlsEdSS & chart pathways for future programmes.