JUBA – The United Kingdom has pledged to impose tougher sanctions as part of renewed efforts to combat corruption in South Sudan, signaling continued international pressure on individuals and networks accused of misappropriating public resources.
Addressing media at a press conference in Juba on Thursday, David Ashley, UK Ambassador to South Sudan, said the future measures may include targeted sanctions against individuals believed to be involved in corrupt practices.
“We will support efforts to tackle corruption. That includes through sanctions where appropriate,” Ashley said.
Ashely said the UK has the ability to impose sanctions on individuals linked to corruption in South Sudan under its domestic sanctions framework and foreign policy tools.
“They also involve obstruction of the peace process. But we also have the ability to impose sanctions for corruption,” he said.
He said corruption-related sanctions will be added to existing measures already imposed on certain individuals in South Sudan for violations of international humanitarian law, including abuses committed during the civil war.
“We have seen in other countries that if you have a context where the criminal, the domestic criminal justice process is failing to achieve the level of accountability necessary, that international sanctions can be a useful complement to show that there are actions that are unacceptable,” he said.
He encouraged the government to make effective use of both oil and non-oil revenues to support the people of South Sudan.
“That should be the highest priority of the government and of how the government spends its money. We will continue to press for accountability and transparency in the use of public resources.”
Since the outbreak of civil conflict in 2013, the United Nations, United States, United Kingdom, and European Union have periodically imposed targeted sanctions on South Sudanese political and military figures.
These measures are aimed at individuals accused of contributing to violence, obstructing peace processes, committing human rights abuses, or engaging in corruption.
The United Nations Security Council has maintained an arms embargo on South Sudan and has also imposed asset freezes and travel bans on selected individuals considered to be undermining peace and security.
Similarly, the U.S. Treasury has designated individuals under its Global Magnitsky framework for alleged involvement in atrocities and corruption.
Corruption has been a long-standing and widely reported challenge in South Sudan, deeply affecting governance, public services, and economic development since the country gained independence in 2011.
The country’s oil-dependent economy has often been at the center of corruption allegations, with concerns that large portions of public revenue have been mismanaged or diverted through opaque financial systems.
Weak institutions, limited oversight, and ongoing political instability have further complicated efforts to enforce accountability.
Over the years, both domestic and international watchdogs have repeatedly raised concerns about the misuse of public funds, including reports of ghost payrolls, inflated contracts, and lack of transparency in public procurement.
In 2012, a high-profile government audit report publicly accused several officials of failing to account for large sums of money, but enforcement actions remained limited.
