This Anti-Corruption Helpdesk brief was produced in response to a query from a U4 Partner Agency. The U4 Helpdesk is operated by Transparency International in collaboration with the U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre based at the Chr. Michelsen Institute.
Query
Please provide an overview of the corruption risks, prevalence, and types in South Sudan.
After a protracted conflict and a period of self-rule from 2005, South Sudan is now the world’s most recent sovereign country. The young state faces considerable governance challenges; it regularly ranks at or near the bottom of international corruption indices.
Corruption is systemic across all levels of government and pervades nearly every economic sector, and perpetrators enjoy widespread impunity. As such, it takes a heavy toll on the populace by diverting the wealth from the country’s extensive oil reserves into private pockets instead of public service provision or gross fixed capital formation. This kleptocratic dynamic is embodied in scandals such as the Cash Grab and Dura Saga scandals.
The international community has called on the South Sudanese government to take stronger action to tackle corruption. However, progress has been slow, and corruption remains a major challenge for South Sudan's future development.
Contents
- Background
- Extent of corruption
- Forms of corruption
- State capture
- Public procurement
- Petty corruption
- Gendered forms of corruption
- Main sectors affected by corruption
- Legal framework
- Institutional framework
- Other stakeholders
- References
Authors
Khachik Harutyunyan
Co-author Caitlin Maslen (TI)
Reviewed by
Matthew Jenkins (TI)
Paul Banoba (TI)
Date
17/05/2023
Tags
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