The United States says it welcomes The Sentry’s report that documents public corruption among some South Sudanese political and military leaders.

The Deputy Spokesperson of the State Department, Mark C. Toner, praised the exposure, saying it shows track record of corruption in South Sudan as being extensive.

He said while corruption is harmful in any part of the world, “it is especially appalling in a country on the verge of famine and struggling to build a government after only five years of independence”.

But the Office of the President has criticized the report, while the SPLA also says it is part of a negative campaign against the country and its leadership.

Days after the release of The Sentry report, the US State Department has called on South Sudanese leaders to implement reforms to fight corruption and increase transparency, as part of the peace agreement.

In a statement, the deputy spokesman says the Department of State is pursuing measures it can take to deter corruption by South Sudanese officials.

“We and other partners have consistently made clear to South Sudanese leaders that they must implement reforms to fight corruption and increase the transparency of public finances, as part of implementing the peace agreement,” he said.

These include working closely with The Sentry to ensure the information it has collected is used appropriately.

The Sentry reported that some South Sudanese leaders and their families have continued to live luxuriously despite the war and the economic crisis.

However, President Salva Kiir’s presidential press secretary, Ateny Wek Ateny told Aljazeera Television that the government would “sue” the Sentry over the report.

Mr Ateny denied that the officials named in the report had taken part in corruption and argued that South Sudanese know who have stolen their money.

The spokesman of the SPLA, Brigadier Lul Ruai Koang, also told Eye Radio earlier that the report was part of a negative campaign against the leadership of the country.