The United States Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs last week said South Sudan’s transitional government has repeatedly failed to live up to its commitments to international partners and its responsibilities to support its people.
A statement extended to this publication said it is ludicrous to say dialogue is happening while First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar is under house arrest and reiterated that President [Donald] Trump has made clear that the United States will not be taken advantage of.
“Therefore, the transitional government must undertake immediate action if it wishes to maintain United States support,” the statement reads in part. “It must undertake urgent action to uphold peace and mitigate the risk of civil war through an immediate return to dialogue among the parties to the 2018 peace agreement.”
“It is farcical to say that such dialogue is taking place while the head of the second largest party to the agreement, First Vice President Machar, is under arrest and on trial,” the statement added.
The Bureau also demanded that the South Sudanese transitional government must address the misuse of its public revenue, ensuring it is allocated for appropriate public purposes, including public sector salaries, health and education services, humanitarian relief, and infrastructure. United States taxpayer-funded emergency assistance is not a substitute for good governance and transparent public financial management.
“There must be an end to the abuse, exploitation, and theft directed against U.S. foreign assistance by South Sudanese officials at the national, state, and county levels,” the statement added. “This would both protect U.S. taxpayer dollars from waste and help transform South Sudan into a capable and reliable state for U.S. trade and investment.”
“The South Sudanese exploitation of the U.S. immigration system must end, and there must be full transitional government cooperation with U.S. immigration law and border security priorities,” the statement concluded.