UN Report Reveals Billions of Dollars Embezzled from South Sudan’s Oil Revenue

Kathmandu – A United Nations report has revealed that South Sudanese government officials have embezzled billions of dollars out of the country’s $25.2 billion oil earnings since independence.

According to the Human Rights Commission’s report, funds that should have been spent on health, education, and infrastructure development were instead diverted for personal gain and political networks. The report states, “Because of the looting of the country, people are being forced to endure hunger, disease, and death.”

The largest corruption case was seen in the ‘Oil for Roads’ program, where out of $2.2 billion allocated between 2021 and 2024, $1.7 billion remains unaccounted for. The report claims the money was funneled through construction companies owned by Vice President Benjamin Bol Mel, considered a possible successor to the presidency. He was recently promoted to the rank of General in the National Security Service.

The UN Commission noted that these irregularities have had a direct impact on the lives of ordinary citizens. However, the South Sudanese government has dismissed the report as biased.

The report comes amid signs of collapse in the power-sharing deal between President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar. Machar faces charges of treason and crimes against humanity, which his supporters have rejected as political revenge, warning of a potential armed uprising.