17/09/2025
U.N. Accuses Juba of Plundering $1.7 Billion Through Vice President Bol Mel’s Road Projects
Juba/Nairobi, Sept 16 – A shocking new report by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan has accused senior government officials of “grand corruption,” with Vice President Benjamin Bol Mel at the center of a multibillion-dollar scandal.
According to the 101-page report, between 2021 and 2024 the government disbursed an estimated $2.2 billion to companies affiliated with Bol Mel through the controversial “Oil for Roads” program. Out of that amount, $1.7 billion was paid for road construction work that was never carried out, leaving South Sudanese citizens questioning where the money went.
The U.N. investigators, who conducted 173 meetings and reviewed government and financial documents, said South Sudan has been “captured by a predatory elite” that systematically loots the country’s wealth while millions go hungry.
U.S. Sanctions and Corruption Allegations
Bol Mel, who was appointed Vice President by President Salva Kiir in February, has long been linked to corruption allegations. The United States sanctioned him and multiple companies connected to him in 2017 and again in 2021, accusing him of receiving preferential government treatment and inflating road construction contracts.
Despite billions of dollars in government payments, the U.N. report states that less than $500 million worth of actual driveable roads were built. Many projects were overpriced, under-delivered, or never materialized.
Government Denial
Justice Minister Joseph Geng rejected the allegations, insisting the figures were “absurdly high” and blaming South Sudan’s economic woes on conflict, climate change, and falling oil revenues. He pointed to recent anti-corruption laws as proof of the government’s commitment to reform. A spokesperson for Vice President Bol Mel declined to comment.
Misplaced Spending Priorities
The U.N. report further highlighted the misallocation of public funds, noting that in the 2022–2023 budget, more money was allocated to the Presidential Medical Unit than to the entire public healthcare system nationwide. Since independence in 2011, South Sudan has earned more than $23 billion from oil exports, but little has been directed toward education, healthcare, or food security.
Today, nearly two-thirds of South Sudan’s 12 million people face hunger, even as the nation’s elite enrich themselves.
Political Context
The release of the report comes amid rising political tensions. Just last week, the government charged First Vice President Riek Machar with crimes against humanity, further escalating divisions within the leadership.
Meanwhile, ordinary South Sudanese continue to bear the brunt of corruption, conflict, and economic collapse.
The U.N. Commission warned that corruption is not just draining state coffers but also fueling violence, as leaders exploit ethnic divisions to secure power and wealth.
