The United States has rebuked South Sudan’s transitional
government, accusing it of obstructing humanitarian relief operations,
violating international obligations, and exploiting international donors while
failing to provide essential services to its own citizens.
In a statement, the US Department of State signaled that it
is prepared to significantly scale back its assistance, unless immediate
corrective action is taken.
The statement condemned recent moves by South Sudanese
authorities, noting that “the South Sudanese transitional government continues
to impose illicit costs on those trying to help its people, most recently by
imposing exorbitant fees on humanitarian shipments and by obstructing UN
peacekeeping operations.”
Washington described these actions as “egregious violations
of South Sudan's international obligations” and demanded that they stop at
once.
US officials warned that failure to reverse course would
trigger a sweeping policy shift.
“If it does not, the United States will initiate a
comprehensive review of our foreign assistance in South Sudan with the
likelihood of making significant reductions,” the statement said.
The US rejected assertions by South Sudan’s leaders that
they bear no responsibility for the country’s worsening humanitarian crisis.
Calling that position a false narrative, the State
Department said the crisis is instead driven by poor governance, a failure to
spend public revenue for the benefit of the people, the insecurity created by
South Sudanese leaders.
This also includes predatory rent-seeking that is directed
against humanitarian aid.
The statement highlighted the vast disparity between donor
assistance and the government’s own spending priorities.
Since independence in 2011, “the American taxpayer has
provided over $9.5 billion in foreign assistance,” while the transitional
government has earned an estimated “$25 billion in oil revenue, which it has
repeatedly failed to use to address compounding public needs.”
Washington urged South Sudan’s leaders to start being a
partner to those trying to help its people rather than obstructing their work.
According to the US, these public resources should be
directed toward essential services, including payment of public sector
salaries, health care, education, and support to vulnerable populations.
The State Department also invoked the long-standing nature
of US–South Sudan relations, stating that “US partnership with the South
Sudanese people predates the country's independence by decades.”
However, it emphasized that the transitional government’s
actions can no longer be ignored.
“We cannot leave the transitional government's abuses
unanswered. To do so would create the moral hazard of further encouraging the
transitional government to persist in the approach that has exponentially
worsened South Sudanese humanitarian need.”
Citing President Trump’s position that the United States
will not be taken advantage of.
