Gov’t says latest The Sentry Report “meant to blackmail” South Sudan

[Elisabeth Janaina]

Gov’t says latest The Sentry Report “meant to blackmail” South Sudan

Obaj Shago | June 5, 2017 | 12:57 pm

Michael Makuei, Information Minister, during an interview on Eye Radio On Sept 23, 2015. Photo by: Obaj Okuj.

The Minister of Information says a new report by advocacy campaigners The Sentry documenting allegation of lack of transparency is meant to blackmail the country.

Last week, the advocacy group, the Sentry, released a report titled “Making a Fortune While Making a Famine: the illustrative Case of a South Sudanese General.”The report used one general as a case and suggested that while some people are starving and conflict continues, a small group of senior military officers have gotten rich.It says some generals have been establishing companies that have monopolized some sectors related to the army.

The report says an absence of the rule of law provides the potential for immense financial benefits for the leaders.

“These are noises these are report which are not unsubstantiated they are meant to blackmail and to blackmail and this is unsubstantiated report,” said Michael Makuei, Minister of Information.

The report also says current incentives favor extreme violence and grand corruption over peace and good governance.It says some of these generals are making fortunes while thousands are facing famine.

Mr. Makuei dismissed the report, saying it meant to blackmail the country.“We known what are their objectives and you read it in newspapers,” he said.Mr Makuei was speaking to reporters at the end of last week.