Juba, March 10, 2020 (SSNA) — A commission set up by the United Nations to investigate alleged widespread corruption in South Sudan says in a new report that South Sudan’s leaders systematically use corrupt practices to steal the wealth of the young nation.
The report came more than two weeks after South Sudanese rival parties agreed to form a transitional government of national unity.
In the report, the commission states that some of the corrupt officials become wealthy while ignoring the suffering of their people.
“Corruption has made several officials extremely wealthy at the expense of millions of their starving citizens,” the commission says.
“It affects every sector of the economy, and every state institution. These are some of the same officials who fought for independence to improve the lot of their people, and who have rapidly turned the dream of liberation into a nightmare,” the report added.
The report, which was released on March 9, also says those who are corrupt uses illegal practices to infringe on the rights and freedom of ordinary South Sudanese.
It is widely known in South Sudan that most South Sudanese political leaders or those who hold high government positions do not like any outside agency or foreign government to investigate corruption in South Sudan. The same officials also dislike the idea of forming a hybrid court that can try those accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity. However, the September 2018 revitalized peace agreement calls for the formation of a hybrid court.