U.S Senators demand tools to end corruption in South Sudan

[Elisabeth Janaina]

U.S Senators demand tools to end corruption in South Sudan

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August 14, 2017 (WASHINGTON) – Two United States Senators have written
to the Treasury Department, calling for the establishment of
additional tools necessary to hold South Sudanese leaders accountable
for the ongoing violence in the East African country.

JPEG - 30.3 kb
President Salva Kiir attends a session during the 25th Extraordinary
Summit of the (IGAD) on South Sudan in Addis Ababa March 13, 2014
(Reuters Photo)

In a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Senate Foreign
Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker and Senator Chris Coons detail
steps required to take on South Sudan to “cut off the free flow of
resources to the political and military elites, their families and
associates.”

The U.S played a key role in events that led to the independence of
South Sudan from Khartoum after more than two decades of civil war.

“Despite initial optimism about the future of the world’s newest
country, the people of South Sudan have spent the past three years
entangled in a brutal conflict, which has spiraled out of control,
with more than two million people internally displaced and almost two
million forced from the country,” partly reads the Senators’ letter.

It adds, “The political and military leaders have hijacked and
repurposed state institutions to enrich themselves and fuel violence”.

According to the U.S lawmakers, the international diplomatic response
to South Sudan’s conflict has failed and donors have focused on the
urgent necessity of providing humanitarian relief to which the U.S has
contributed almost $3 billion since December 2013.

South Sudan is suffering from a devastating war. Six million South
Sudanese, half the country’s population said to be severely food
insecure, and almost 2 million are on the brink of man-made famine.

“The United States must simultaneously address the structural problems
that enable kleptocracy, incentivize violence, and prevent peace,”
says the letter addressed to the U.S Treasury, amidst calls for a more
transparent as well as responsible government in the future.

This, it adds, includes regional responsibility for impunity and the
negative fiscal and human impact it has on stability and development
in the region.

Calls were also made, in the 1 August letter, for the U.S Treasury
Secretary to investigate corruption, impose network-focused sanctions,
identify hidden assets, collaborate with international anti-money
laundering standard setting bodies, and work with regional partners
such as Uganda and Kenya to ensure that the plundered resources that
belong to the people of South Sudan do not flow through their banking
system as well as the real estate markets.

Meanwhile, Enough Project applauded the U.S Senators for their focus
on the use of financial tools to address the nexus of conflict and
corruption in South Sudan, and for their leadership and commitment to
a peaceful resolution to the conflict in the country.

“The Treasury Department has a vital role to play in addressing the
conflict and massive human suffering in South Sudan. Senators Corker
and Coons should be commended for their unwavering commitment to peace
and their willingness to work together to find solution,” Ian Schwab,
the Director of Advocacy and Impact Strategy at the Enough Project
said in a statement issued Monday.

“Leading voices in both parties and in both the House and Senate have
called for Secretary Mnuchin to focus more attention and resources on
South Sudan. He should heed this call without delay.”

In conjunction with diplomatic efforts, the U.S Treasury was urged to
focus on deploying financial tools that target the financial networks
of those obstructing peace and dispersing the proceeds of corruption
through the region and even via the U.S financial systems.

“Those fighting in South Sudan will not agree to a sustainable peace
until the international community develops more robust leverage and
deploys stronger pressure,” further stressed the Senator’s letter.

In a separate statement, however, Brian Adeba, an associate director
of policy at the Enough Project, said Senators Corker and Coons have
tirelessly advocated for strong action on South Sudan.

“This letter sends exactly the right message by making it very clear
that the United States will not continue to allow South Sudan’s
leaders to rob their country while millions face hunger, displacement,
and violence. Strong diplomacy combined with the robust use of the
financial tools outlined in this letter offer the best chance for a
peaceful resolution in South Sudan,” he said.

The South Sudanese civil war is a conflict in between forces of the
government and the armed opposition forces. In December 2013,
President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of
attempting a coup d’état. Since then, tens of thousands of people have
been killed and nearly two million displaced in the country’s
worst-ever violence after it seceded from Sudan.

(ST)

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15 August 08:55, by Lenin Bull

These white racist senators must mind their obscene language when
it comes to South Sudanese internal affairs. Corruption is alive and
kicking in the US. White racism and discrimination of black people is
state sponsored in some states in the US!! What is all these fuses
about South Sudan? We are free and independent forever. Respect us
please. Your good intention cannot degenerate into insults

repondre message
15 August 08:59, by Lenin Bull

Those who are not well versed with our liberation struggle from
1955-197, and from 1983-2005 are the ones who can naively conclude
that helped us in our struggle for independence and dignity. The US
ignored ANYANYA ONE and denied it both military and financial
assistance and as a result ANYANYA ONE did not achieve its primary
objective of either liberating South Sudan militarily or cutting off

repondre message
15 August 09:04, by Lenin Bull

as an independent country from Sudan. During the course of the war
from 1983- 2005, the US government sided with various Khartoum
governments Nimeri, Swar El Dab, Sadik , and Omar giving them money
and weapons under the pretext that SPLA/SPLM is a communist oriented
guerilla movement and nothing else. In fact the worst weapons used by
Arabs in Khartoum to kill 5 millions South Sudanese were US

repondre message
15 August 09:09, by Lenin Bull

/Western weapons. The US turned towards the SPLA/SPLM for
strategic alliance when Khartoum became the den for terrorism of Osama
Bin Laden from 1989. Hence the so called US support was for strategic
alliance to fight terrorism and cannot be used to bully South Sudanese
in their independent young nation. Only stupid people can believe only
US helped us during our hard struggle.

repondre message
15 August 09:15, by Lenin Bull

Countries that helped South Sudanese in their glorious hard
struggles with meaningful sincere assistance that had an impacts are:
Ethiopia, Libya, Cuba, Russia/USSR, Angola, Zimbabwe, Eritrea, Israel,
Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Uganda, and lately US during only
sponsoring and guiding CPA negotiations. South Sudanese should not be
naive and entertained with myths and baby talks of US support

repondre message
15 August 09:20, by Lenin Bull

Sudan is now trying to take away Abyei and Panthou/Heglig oil
fields from South Sudan with US CIA collision and threat towards South
Sudan government as a reward for the fake support by Sudan in the war
against terror.

repondre message
15 August 15:01, by jur_likang_a_ likan’g

USA needs to walk the talk. Enough has been said yet South
Sudanese exodus in search of refugee seems to extrapolate.

repondre message
15 August 15:15, by Mr. Right

@LeninBull,
I completely agree with you that no country should meddle in our
internal affairs let alone the US. But what about this crippling
corruption and infinite war? Do you also support these corrupt morons
embezzling our resources day and night to enrich themselves?

repondre message
15 August 15:16, by Mr. Right

If the US will… by any means target these rogues, then that’s
acceptable. After all, these politicians and generals are leading us
to abyss. Please let’s not be driven by aspersion but rather focus on
what bear substance.

repondre message
15 August 16:25, by Lenin Bull

Mr.Right Thank you for your good advice to me. I agree that the
current simpletons in Juba are shaming our country and people but
foreigners have no rights to insult national leaders and if allowed to
go on for long it will translate to all country and people. Try it
yourself when you are sitting next to an American speaking nasty white
racism, sex immorality, drugs abuses, etc in the US or

repondre message
15 August 16:30, by Lenin Bull

come to our region and speak about Museveni in Uganda, Uhuru/Raila
Odinga, Omar Bashir, Ethiopia, Egypty etc. Be mature in international
politics. Allowing South Sudan to be insulted by anybody anywhere is
the first step towards its loss of dignity and finally colonization if
you don’t know. There are better rationally sound ways of helping
South Sudan than insults.

repondre message
15 August 21:50, by Mr. Right

Well, Lenin Bull, the current crop of rulers have failed and
there’s no image that we’re protecting at the moment. In fact, we
should be focusing on restoring it because it had long been tainted. I
know it’s a natural tendency to be paranoid but don’t let it get hold
of you. We don’t have leaders but morons and dictators ruling us, open
your eyes, Lenin?

repondre message
15 August 21:52, by Mr. Right

The country is being held hostage by rogues and Angelo
Achuil - below - has said it all. Whether it’s geopolitics or
international diplomacy as you bluntly stressed, they’ve failed
miserably as well. The future looks bleak for millions of S. Sudanese
and the suffering is immense, yet, it was SYNTHETIC and people like
you don’t give a damn about it. Quite pathetic really???

repondre message
15 August 17:22, by Angelo Achuil

Lenin Bull: Millions of our South Sudanese people are suffering in
foreign refugees camps seeking food and shelter from foreigners, does
that seems to you as "internal affairs"??? It is so tempting to
separate you from those benefiting from this civil war. It is so
annoying for people to be begged to show regard for their own flesh
and blood!

repondre message
15 August 17:25, by Angelo Achuil

I mean "so tempting to NOT separate you from..."

repondre message
15 August 17:39, by Angelo Achuil

Does anyone see any irony in this? People get so angry and fume
over mere insult but are not bothered by the dying of our people in
thousands, displacement in millions, property damage in billions of
dollars, and most citizens lacking food, living daily in fear - were
caused and still are man-made. And someone is saying the pressing
priority worthy of our attention in this time an "insult"?