Looting In Oil-rich South Sudan Leaves People Starving!

LOOTING IN OIL-RICH SOUTH SUDAN LEAVES PEOPLE STARVING! (freedomnewspaper.com)

This sad story is reminiscent of oil-rich Nigeria of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s for those Africans of an older generation like myself. We thought then that in Nigeria we had the makings of an African super-power … not the dysfunctional impoverished country, on the brink of breaking up on tribal lines, that it has now become thanks to mega-looting by its sons and daughters. At that time we were also backing South Sudan’s independence struggle against the Arab North and I recall hosting the Liberation Leader John Garang’s wife in Edinburgh Scotland – and I suppose it is that “independence revolutionary” and his family who are looting the country now.  Come to think of it, Nigerian military ruler General Babaginda’s youngest wife had also bought a nice little house in Edinburgh with the loot!.

This looting, involving businessmen, “politicians, government officials, international corporations, military personnel, and multinational banks”, has characterised virtually ALL African countries during the last 64 years since Ghana became the first “independent” African country in 1957. We are all now IN-DEPENDENT … dependent on UN food aid to stave of starvation because our leaders have looted and starved the continent.

Reminiscent of the last piece I posted on Guinea’s recent coup, South Sudan just survived a coup attempt, by starving junior officers. As the UN Report says: “Political, military and business leaders in South Sudan have been illicitly diverting millions of dollars and undermining the stability in the country”.

LESSON FOR THE GAMBIA: 

THE GAMBIA NEEDS TO BAN politicians, military leaders, government officials – and their families – from taking any money out of the country and from owning any bank accounts, investments or property outside the country. If they are going to loot the country’s meagre resources, at least ensure that what is looted remains within the country – that is the golden rule for the elites of USA and UK who also do loot: they keep the money circulating in their country. We loot and take it out of the country – thus impoverishing wealthy countries such as DRC, Nigeria, South Sudan, Guinea Conakry, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Kenya, etc, etc.

Dida Jallow-Halake,

Notting Hill, UK

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UN REPORT INTO SOUTH SUDAN LOOTING – BBC 23 September 2021 

By Nichola Mandil in Juba

Millions looted as South Sudan struggles – UN 

Political, military and business leaders in South Sudan have been illicitly diverting millions of dollars and undermining the stability in the country, a UN panel of experts says.

The Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan found “evidence that, since 2018, state officials and entities linked to the government… have embezzled and laundered at least tens of millions of dollars… these figures undoubtedly represent only the tip of the iceberg“.

This level of corruption undermines human rights and security in the country, the report says.

It found that some $73m (£53m) was diverted since 2018.

The commission said this figure is only a fraction of the overall amount looted.

“Our findings revealing the patterns and trends of the embezzlement include the involvement of politicians, government officials, international corporations, military personnel, and multinational banks in these crimes,” Commission Chair Yasmin Sooka, said in Geneva while presenting the report.

The report also highlights that South Sudan’s oil industry is dominated by “unaccountable oil consortia, the actions of which have wrought considerable devastation, including environmental degradation and damage impacting on the health of citizens.

This is happening in a country where almosttwo-thirds of the population – amounting to 7.2 million people – struggle on daily basis to get food.

The government of South Sudan has not yet commented on the experts’ report.