By Matik Kueth
South Sudan, Africa’s youngest nation, is endowed with abundant natural resources, particularly oil.
Yet, more than a decade after gaining independence in 2011, the country struggles with systemic corruption that undermines governance, stalls development, and deprives citizens of basic services such as schools, hospitals, roads, and clean water.
Recent reports by Transparency International and Global Witness revealed that billions of dollars in oil revenues, funds meant to provide roads, hospitals, schools, and clean water, have been siphoned into private pockets.
In the oil-rich fields of Unity State, the crisis is painfully visible as children sit under the scorching sun or huddle beneath trees, their lessons interrupted by dust storms and rain.
They carry worn-out books and broken dreams, while classrooms remain empty and roofs absent; This is not a scene from the distant past, it is the reality of today.
Since 2011, the nation’s oil revenues, estimated at over $23 billion, have been both a blessing and a curse.
Billions in oil revenues vanish into private pockets while communities around oilfields remain impoverished [Photo: Courtesy].
This systemic corruption has weakened governance, undermined trust in public institutions, and fueled instability and conflict.
In Unity State, for instance, communities are entitled to a 3% share of oil revenue for development.
Instead, locals accuse leaders of diverting the money, leaving schools in ruins and roads impassable.
Voices from the ground
In an interview with King Media on Monday, Gatdet Gatkuoth Lual, a pupil of Liech Primary School in Koch County, Unity State, expressed frustration over how the government has failed to improve education in their area.
“We are studying under trees without desks or blackboards. Sometimes dust blows into our eyes, and when it rains, classes stop completely. It is painful to know Koch produces oil, yet we children don’t even have classrooms,” Lual said.
He noted that while the government collects a three percent oil share meant for community development, nothing is being invested in schools.
Children at Liech Primary School in Koch study without classrooms or desks, as the only incomplete shelter forces many to learn under trees. [Photo: Courtesy].
“When we sit under trees, some girls drop out because they feel ashamed or unsafe. We want schools with classrooms and chairs so that both boys and girls can learn without fear. I beg the government to build schools for us,” she stated.
In Jonglei State’s Ayod County, the neglect extends beyond classrooms, seeping into every aspect of daily life.
John Malual Bol, a community leader in Ayod County, stressed the government’s lack of focus on community development, citing the area’s poor road networks.
He said the locals have to take patients from the villages to the main hospital on foot, noting that the government is not doing enough to ensure grassroots development.
In Ayod County, patients are carried on foot for hours due to lack of ambulances and roads [Photo: Courtesy].
Challenges in investigating corruption
For journalists, exposing these failures is never straightforward for as the quest for accountability often turns into an uphill battle against secrecy and restricted access to information.
Investigative journalism, which should serve as a watchdog over government actions and spending, is eroded in the country with key documents, stories that could inform and empower citizens remained untold.
However, Yiep Joseph, a political journalist working for Number One Citizen Daily Newspaper, highlighted the hardships journalists face in obtaining information on corruption, money laundering, and government spending.
“If you want to report a story, let me say you want to investigate a story in regard to government spending, for example, it is very hard for you to get some of the document. For instance, in every budget, we are supposed to know how much the executive is spending. And for instance, the office of the president,” he stated.
He added, “No one knows now how much the president is spent, whether from the office or homes and the rest. No one knows. But simply because it is very hard for a journalist to access such information to compile a very interesting story.”
Joseph emphasized that without access to official records, corruption remains concealed.
Journalists face threats and secrecy when investigating corruption somewhere in Africa [Photo: Courtesy].
Corruption as a threat to peace
Corruption in South Sudan is not just an economic problem, it is a peace and security crisis.
Ter Manyang, a human rights activist, pointed out that corruption in South Sudan impedes service delivery and exacerbates conflict.
“Corruption is not just theft, it is the denial of basic services to our people. When public funds are stolen or mismanaged, roads are left unbuilt, schools remain closed, hospitals lack medicines, and clean water remains a dream for many communities,” he said.
He alleged that political elites of diverting resources to perpetuate strife, triggering more instability in the country.
“Political leaders steal government resources to fuel power struggles. This deepens divisions and undermines peace,” he noted.
The activist called on the government to prioritize service delivery, craft budgets for roads, schools, hospitals, and water supply, hinting that anti-corruption mechanisms should be strengthened, and those who steal public resources be held accountable.
Meanwhile, Jeremiah Ater, Executive Director of Anti-Corruption South Sudan, admitted that corruption is threatening peace and development in the country, arguing that the practice has gone beyond government institutions to every aspect of society, leaving civilians without essential amenities.
“Corruption is not in the government sector alone. It’s in the private sector, even in social gatherings. Corruption is very high, as you can see,” he said.
The consequences, he said, are visible in the country’s poor infrastructure and weak social services.
A poor road washed away by rain in Pigi County, Jonglei State [Photo: Courtesy].
The executive director further cautioned that corruption is also a driver of instability in the country.
“There is a conflict of interest over resources and overpower. People compete over positions so that they bring their own people. This way, you create conflict, and conflict leads to war,” he stressed.
While the Commission has promoted asset declaration, education, and preventive measures since its creation in 2006, Ater acknowledged limited resources hinder enforcement.
“Fighting corruption is like fighting a colonial government. Somebody with a corruption image has money and power. They can even buy soldiers and fight you. But we should not be scared of that,” he said.
He appealed to the citizens and the media to take action to stand against corruption for a better South Sudan.
Political accountability and resistance
Nevertheless, Stephen Bol Ley, a Member of the NTLA, slammed government’s failure to account for public funds, accusing political elites of frustrating oversight efforts while citizens suffer without services.
“Every year, billions are allocated for roads, schools, and hospitals, yet our people still walk on dusty paths, children study under trees, and patients die because medicine is unavailable,” he stated.
He revealed that parliamentary committees have repeatedly summoned ministers and top officials to explain expenditure, but many refuse to appear.
A photo depicting NTLA members as ministers often refuse to appear in parliament for questioning on public funds [Courtesy].
Ley further appealed for stronger auditing systems, mandatory asset declarations, and independent investigations into major government contracts.
But admitted that such reforms face resistance from the very people who think they have connections in the government.
“Whenever we push for transparency, we face excuses and accusations of being political enemies. This culture of fear shields corruption,” he bemoaned.
He urged the Anti-Corruption Commission institution to join parliament in demanding answers.
The economic toll of corruption
Dr. Abraham Maliet, an economist, noted that corruption is a key obstacle to peace and development.
“When public funds meant for roads, schools, and hospitals vanish into private pockets, citizens lose trust in government. This erodes social cohesion and fuels conflict,” he stressed.
“Corruption drains resources, stalls projects, and denies people basic services, trapping communities in cycles of poverty,” he asserted.
Maliet emphasized the need for transparency, oversight, and accountability mechanisms for the country to press forward.
“We need stronger transparency, oversight, and accountability mechanisms. Peace will remain fragile unless we tackle corruption decisively, it is not just an economic issue, it is a matter of survival for our nation,” he urged.
According to the United Nations, between 2021 and 2024, approximately $1.7 billion was allocated to companies linked to Vice President Benjamin Bol Mel for road construction projects that largely remain incomplete.
Additionally, an off-the-books “Oil for Roads” program funneled an estimated $2.2 billion to affiliated companies, consuming up to 60% of the government’s disbursements in some years, with over 90% of the promised infrastructure never delivered.
These financial misallocations have exacerbated the country’s economic challenges. Despite the substantial oil revenues, South Sudan’s GDP has declined from approximately $12 billion in 2011 to just $5.4 billion in 2024.
The mismanagement of funds has not only hindered development but also contributed to widespread poverty, with nearly two-thirds of the population facing food insecurity.
The diversion of resources meant for public services has intensified the humanitarian crisis, as essential infrastructure like roads, schools, and hospitals remain underdeveloped or nonexistent.
“This story is reported with a grant from Journalists for Human Rights under the ‘Tackling Mis/Disinformation Project,’ funded by the Peace and Stabilization Program of the Government of Canada.”