South Sudan’s government urged the United States on Wednesday not to “abandon” the country after Washington said it would review its assistance programs because it could not continue a partnership with leaders perpetuating “endless war”.
“We are asking the United States not to abandon this country (South Sudan) because we need them … their role to assist the population of South Sudan is crucial and cannot be ignored”, said Foreign Affairs Ministry Spokesman Mawien Makol Ariik.
The United States is the largest donor of humanitarian assistance to South Sudan, which has been in the throes of a civil war since late 2013 that has displaced around a third of the 12 million-strong population and killed tens of thousands of people.
In a sharply worded statement on Tuesday the White House said the United States was a “proud and hopeful supporter” of South Sudan when it gained independence in 2011.
“Seven years later, the leaders of this country have squandered this partnership... killed their own people and repeatedly demonstrated their inability and unwillingness to live up to their commitments to end the country’s civil war,” the statement added.
The US funding provides aid to millions of South Sudanese refugees in Uganda and lifesaving assistance such as food to people still inside the war-torn country.
Washington’s statement said that the United States is committed to saving lives but does not want its assistance to “prolong the conflict” or facilitate corrupt behavior by elites.
Juba spends well more than half its budget on weapons and paying soldiers, according to UN experts.
Trump’s administration said Tuesday that it will initiate a comprehensive review of its assistance programs to South Sudan to ensure its aid does not contribute to or prolong the country’s ongoing conflict, facilitate predatory or corrupt behavior.
Such a review, it said, will involve appraising the US support for the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Mechanism (JMEC) and other mechanisms intended to support the Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS), which was signed in August 2015.
“We are deeply frustrated with the lack of progress toward an agreement, and we must ensure our shared efforts reflect the urgency of the situation,” the White House statement further noted.
