South Sudan’s fragile peace process is on the verge of collapse as systemic corruption undermines governance, entrenches nepotism, and derails reforms, according to a new report from the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan.
The report, launched in Nairobi on September 16, details how billions of dollars in oil and non-oil revenues have been siphoned into patronage networks, starving key institutions and leaving millions of citizens without services.
“The Revitalized Agreement is now at a breaking point,” the Commission warned, pointing to the arbitrary detention of First Vice President Riek Machar since March and the government’s September 11 announcement of treason and murder charges against him.
His arrest has fractured his party, with many leaders jailed or forced into exile.
Among the most striking revelations is the so-called “Oil for Roads” programme, which diverted $2.2 billion off-budget into networks controlled by elites, including companies linked to Vice President Benjamin Bol Mel.
Most of the promised roads were never built.
Meanwhile, international watchdogs accuse South Sudan’s leaders of using tax schemes and illegal levies to enrich themselves while blocking humanitarian aid.
Crawford Capital Ltd, for example, was cited for collecting non-oil revenues that never reached state coffers.
Commissioner Barney Afako said the financial reforms envisaged in the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement “remain unimplemented, while impunity for corruption prevails.”
Without these reforms, he warned, South Sudan cannot build the capacity to deliver services or hold credible elections.
The report also notes how nepotism is destabilizing governance, with President Salva Kiir’s daughter and Vice President Bol Mel’s wife recently elevated to senior government positions.
With elections due next year, international analysts fear that corruption and patronage networks could compromise their credibility. “When public revenue becomes private fortune, peace cannot hold,” said Commission Chair Yasmin Sooka.
Civil servants, unpaid for months, say the situation is untenable. “We are starving while the powerful steal everything,” said one teacher in Juba, speaking anonymously. “How can there be peace when even salaries are stolen?”
The Commission emphasized that corruption not only violates international law but also threatens regional stability. South Sudan’s collapse could send fresh waves of refugees into neighbouring countries already hosting millions displaced by the country’s civil wars.
Calling for urgent action, the report issued 54 recommendations, including sanctions on corrupt actors, international support for financial accountability, and renewed commitment to the peace deal.
“The prospects of completing South Sudan’s transition, as envisaged by the Revitalized Agreement, have significantly diminished,” the Commission concluded.
“Accountability for economic crimes and investment in human rights are indispensable if the country is to avoid sliding back into conflict.”