South Sudan refutes UN report accusing its political elites of plundering public coffers

South Sudan government on Monday refused to ackwledge a UN’s Commission on Human Rights (OHCHR) report that accused country's elites of "diverting staggering amounts of money and or wealth from South Sudan's public coffers".  UN published its observations on 23 September, which were an output of investigations carried out by Commission over past two years.  However, South Sudan Cabinet Affairs Minister Martin Elia Lomuro refuted claims by stating that it was a part of an "international campaign against governance", as per Al-Jazeera.

More than USD73 million was siphoned since 2018. This included transactions worth $39 million in a period of fewer than two months,  UN Commission ted, adding that aforementioned figure was "just a fraction of overall amount looted".

UN report said that systematic and illicit diversions of State resources have left world's newest nation in pit of impoverished ecomic, social and cultural conditions. Conference Room Paper also warned South Sudan that consequences of "plundering" could "fuel political competition amongst elites and is a key driver of ongoing conflicts, violations and serious crimes, jeopardising prospects of sustainable peace". It is to be ted that South Sudan gained its independence in 2011 following a five-year gruesome civil war.

'Flawed and n-transparent payments'

UN Commission ted that South Sudanese elites deliberately engd in a "highly informal system of oil revenue collection, in which of independent oversight and transparency facilitates and enables misappropriation of public funds." Similar "flawed and n-transparent" processes were adopted for contract payments and n-oil revenues." However, Commission Chair Yasmin Sooka dubbed OHCHR findings "merely tip of iceberg." investigations traced exact data on corruption, embezzlement and bribery that included "involvement of politicians, government officials, International corporations, military personnel and multinational banks." Sooka even went on to say that Ministry of Finance, Ecomic Planning and National Revenue Authority were part of "crime."

Commission also ted how South Sudan poured diverted funds into fuelling armed conflict. “South Sudan’s damaging conflicts have been significantly enabled and even motivated by opportunities to control and divert natural resources as well as oil and n-oil revenues," said Chairperson of Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, Barney Afako. "Moreover, national authorities and elites have prioritised financing of military and security apparatuses over investment in public services, infrastructure, and livelihoods. We strongly urge Government to act swiftly and decisively fully to implement Chapter IV of Revitalised Peace Agreement, which provides appropriate basis for ensuring effective resource, ecomic, and financial manment in South Sudan," he added.

report identified several individuals allegedly linked to embezzlement and violations of human rights. Additionally, it also highlighted how ceasefire and power-sharing have displayed very few instances of progress between President Salva Kiir Mayardit and his arch-rival-turned-deputy Riek Machar.

(Im: AP/ @RadioMiraya_Twitter)