UN accuses South Sudan’s government of $1.7B in corruption via unfinished road projects, fueling crisis and conflict.

A UN report accuses South Sudan's government of widespread corruption, including paying $1.7 billion to companies linked to Vice President Benjamin Bol Mel for road projects that were never completed between 2021 and 2024. The report, based on interviews and financial data from 2022 to 2024, says graft has crippled the country’s ability to meet human rights obligations and fueled armed conflict. Nearly two-thirds of South Sudan’s 12 million people face crisis-level hunger. The government disputes the report’s findings, claiming its data is inaccurate and blaming economic struggles on conflict, climate change, and declining oil sales.