A new independent report reveals that corruption in South Sudan is systematically siphoning off oil and non-oil revenues through opaque schemes and politically connected contracts, leaving millions of citizens without access to basic services. Yasmin Sooka, Chair of the Commission, described corruption as the driving force behind South Sudan’s decline, fueling hunger, collapsing health systems, preventable deaths, and armed conflict over resources.
Since gaining independence in 2011, South Sudan has struggled with the legacy of civil war, state repression, and poverty, while ruling elites continue to fight for control over natural resources. The report found that oil revenues alone have exceeded $25.2 billion since independence, yet minimal funds reach essential services such as education, public health, and justice. Commissioner Carlos Castresana Fernández emphasized that this diversion directly results in preventable child deaths, malnutrition, and widespread exclusion from education.
The report highlights multiple corruption schemes, including the ‘Oil for Roads’ program, which was intended to build infrastructure but failed to deliver roads, with an estimated $2.2 billion diverted into political patronage networks. Other schemes involve Crawford Capital, a politically connected company, in non-oil revenue collection, where taxes barely reach government budgets while illegal levies on humanitarian actors obstruct critical food aid.
Despite a 2018 peace agreement promising structural reforms and improved public financial management, these reforms have not been adequately funded or implemented. The report provides 54 recommendations aimed at meeting basic needs, strengthening accountability, and ending impunity in South Sudan. Ms. Sooka stressed that for peace to endure, public revenue must be managed transparently, and economic crimes must be addressed while investing in human rights.
The Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2016, conducted the investigation independently, with Commissioners not receiving payment for their work, emphasizing the impartiality and integrity of the findings.
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