UN Report Accuses South Sudan’s Leaders of Systematic Corruption Amid Worsening Hunger
South Sudan’s ruling elite have engaged in “systematic looting” of public resources, diverting billions of dollars from essential services while millions face starvation.
A a new report from the UN Commission on Human Rights, cited by Arab News via Reuters, alleges that between 2021 and 2024, the government funneled at least $1.7 billion to companies linked to Vice President Benjamin Bol Mel for road construction contracts, many of which were never completed or poorly executed. One firm tied to the vice president allegedly received nearly 60 percent of total government disbursements under the controversial “Oil for Roads” program.
The commission said corruption and elite patronage have crippled basic services. In some years, allocations for the presidential medical unit exceeded total spending on all public hospitals and clinics nationwide. Meanwhile, nearly two-thirds of South Sudan’s 12 million citizens are facing crisis levels of food insecurity, conditions the UN links directly to the misuse of state funds.
Justice Minister Joseph Geng dismissed the findings, saying the report relied on unreliable data and overlooked the impact of conflict, climate shocks, and declining oil revenues. However, investigators stressed their conclusions were based on financial records and 173 interviews conducted between late 2022 and late 2024.
The report warns that South Sudan has become “captured by a predatory elite,” where corruption undermines institutions and worsens instability. Humanitarian agencies fear donor confidence may further erode, reducing aid just as millions depend on external support to survive.
South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan in 2011, making it the world’s newest sovereign state. A significant feature of its geography is the Sudd, a vast swamp region formed by the White Nile river, which flows through the country.
