UN commission says citizens lack food access after South Sudan leaders diverted billions in public funds – JURIST
The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan said Monday that systemic corruption among the country’s political leaders is directly responsible for an escalating human rights crisis.
The commission’s findings detail how programs such as “Oil for Roads” allowed high-ranking officials to allocate over $2.2 billion in recent years to companies linked to senior political figures, while road construction delivered was substandard or incomplete. The inquiry concluded that billions of dollars in oil and non-oil revenues have been diverted away from public services into illicit contracts and elite networks, leaving millions of citizens without access to food, healthcare, or education.
The report also noted that allocations to politically connected units, such as the President’s Medical Unit, at times exceeded the budget for the entire national health system. Commissioner Barney Afako warned, “Instead of directing national wealth toward serving the population, the country’s political leaders have systematically diverted both oil and non-oil revenues, through corruption and unaccountable schemes entrenched throughout government.”
South Sudanese officials disputed the allegations, asserting that the crisis stems from climate change, conflict, and reduced oil revenues rather than deliberate mismanagement. They argued that international reports exaggerate the scale of corruption and overlook ongoing reforms.
The commission, however, singled out the government’s lack of independent audits or affirmative steps toward canceling or renegotiating opaque contracts. It recommended comprehensive transparency measures, reallocation of state spending toward essential services, and protection for journalists and civil society actors documenting abuses.
UN experts have previously raised concerns over South Sudanese corruption. In March the UN published a report that warned about the crisis and its negative humanitarian impacts. In 2023, the commission sounded alarm over the eroding effect systemic looting had on the rule of law and how it perpetuated impunity. Monday’s report expands the record, tying corruption more explicitly to rights violations on a mass scale.
The commission released its report at a press conference in Nairobi, noting that corruption’s impacts are recognized as violations under international law as well as by the African Union and the UN Security Council. It reminded leaders of South Sudan’s obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to use “maximum available resources” to secure basic human rights.
