U.S imposes visa restrictions on people responsible for South Sudan conflict

US VISA (File Image)

December 23, 2024

By Jwothab Othow

On December 22, 2024, the United States of America issued a statement restricting visas for individuals from South Sudan who sabotage peace. The US Department of State described these individuals as responsible for or involved in undermining and impeding sustainable peace in South Sudan. This time, I believe the United States should take more practical action rather than just making empty promises, as the Kleptocracy regimes in South Sudan are well aware that words alone hold no significance for them. It is President Kiir and his cronies who benefit from the systemic corruption in South Sudan and who use conflict as a pretext to maintain their power, resorting to violence.

If the United States truly wants to show solidarity with the suffering people of South Sudan, I think they should demonstrate their commitment by targeting the Kleptocracy regime that obstructs peace, stability, democracy, and violates human rights and good governance. South Sudan is not only a failed state, but President Kiir’s group has also hijacked it to plunder public resources, leaving the people of South Sudan to endure immense suffering. The leaders of the Kiir regime are determined to stay in power indefinitely, claiming that God has given them the mandate to govern South Sudan. The U.S. Department of the Treasury should impose sanctions on South Sudan government officials and their family members, including President Kiir, his FVP Dr. Riek Machar, and those responsible for the violence and undermining peace efforts. Additionally, the U.S. Department of the Treasury should crack down on these officials and their family members by freezing their funds, confiscating their properties, and seizing their assets located outside of South Sudan.

The United States should also impose sanctions on individuals involved in facilitating the South Sudan kleptocracy regime, both regionally and globally, and those who benefit from it. President Kiir’s kleptocracy regime has plundered the wealth of the South Sudanese people for 19 years, amassing significant personal wealth without making any improvements to the lives of the population. I firmly believe that peace and stability cannot be achieved in South Sudan as long as President Kiir’s kleptocracy regime remains in power, as it is built on tribal dominance. It is crucial that we dismantle this regime once and for all.

There is a saying that advises against merely cutting off the tail of a snake if one wishes to kill it; instead, one must sever its head. President Kiir’s kleptocracy regime is indifferent to empty statements of condemnation from the West that do not affects or deter their violent behavior. It is imperative that we take decisive action to put an end to this kleptocracy regime, which will result in their removal from power and their subsequent arrest for war crimes and crimes against humanity. By doing so, we can deliver justice to the victims of President Kiir’s kleptocracy regime. The author, Jwothab Othow, a citizen of South Sudan, an activist and a critic of South Sudan’s authoritarian regime. May God bless the Republic of South Sudan and the people of South Sudan.