How South Sudanese Ruling Elites Bankrupted the "Young" Nation

How South Sudan’s elite looted its foreign reserves
EXCLUSIVE: Leaked audit report shows how family and friends of top government officials benefited from letters of credit scam.

corruption — From rags to riches: the amazing transition of the South Sudanese Minister

The looting of South Sudan

Over several months, the Mail & Guardian analyzed data in the audit report and investigated the background of companies that received the largest allocations. An examination of the shareholders for a sample of companies suggested they were often linked to people in government and the armed forces.

We all know, intuitively, that there is a powerful link between war and money. When the bullets fly, someone dies; meanwhile, someone else is getting rich.

In South Sudan, we know who is dying. At least 50 000 people, mostly civilians, in nearly four years of fighting. That figure is probably a gross underestimate. Another four million – a third of the population – have been forcibly displaced from their homes, fleeing to squalid refugee camps in neighbouring countries or trying to make a new life in dangerous, unfamiliar conditions somewhere else in the country. Families have been torn asunder, livelihoods abandoned, future generations sacrificed in the near-complete absence of education and basic healthcare.
Now we also know who is getting rich. Simona Foltyn’s painstaking investigation into how South Sudan’s ruling elite have stolen and squandered the country’s reserves of foreign currency is an extraordinary insight into the mechanics of looting on a grand, almost unimaginable scale. Nearly a billion dollars cannot be adequately accounted for, according to a report produced by the state’s own auditor-general – a report which, for obvious reasons, the state has been reluctant to make public.
Implicated in the scam are close friends and family of South Sudan’s most senior officials, including figures aligned to both the government and the rebels. It’s clear there are no good guys leading this war – only the rich and powerful trying to get richer and more powerful, casually risking the lives and futures of South Sudan’s people to do so. – Simon Allison

To read the full article, click on the following link: https://mailguardian.atavist.com/how-south-sudans-elite-looted-its-foreign-reserves

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PaanLuel Wël

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PaanLuel Wël is the founder and editor-in-chief of PaanLuel Wël Media Ltd, a news website that covers news, opinions, analysis, history, culture and literature of South Sudan and the world. Founded in July 2011 by PaanLuel Wël to create a platform for free expression and constructive dialogue, the website features articles from various contributors, including columnists, commentators, poets, authors, activists and academics. PaanLuel Wël believes that media can play a vital role in informing, educating and empowering the people to participate in nation-building and social transformation. He also believes that media can foster a culture of dialogue, tolerance and diversity among different communities and groups, and hopes to inspire and mentor the next generation of South Sudanese writers and journalists.

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