FILE PHOTO: Nick Checker, Africa Bureau Senior Bureau Official

A senior United States official warned South Sudan’s leadership of consequences if they continue to obstruct reforms and fail to use national revenue for the public good.

In a statement published Monday, May 11, 2026, on the U.S. Embassy in South Sudan website, Africa Bureau Senior Bureau Official Nick Checker outlined a sharp shift in U.S. priorities following his May 7–8 visit to Juba.

These priorities include promoting peace, reducing aid dependency, and ending “predatory practices” targeting organizations that deliver foreign assistance.

Checker issued a direct warning regarding the future of the bilateral relationship: “The USA will not be taken advantage of. Without progress on peace, ending revenue misuse/marginalization of the South Sudanese people, foreign aid abuse, and cooperation on immigration and border security, there will be consequences.”

SBO Checker directly challenged the government’s claims of political progress, describing the current state of inter-party talks as “farcical.” He noted that genuine dialogue cannot occur while First Vice President Riek Machar, leader of the second-largest party in the 2018 peace agreement, remains under arrest and on trial.

While acknowledging that the 2018 peace agreement was flawed, Checker emphasized that it remains the “basis of legitimacy” for the current transitional government. He urged immediate action to restore peace through inclusive dialogue among all signatories.

The visit highlighted a stark disparity in South Sudan’s finances. Since independence in 2011, the United States has contributed over $9.5 billion in aid to the South Sudanese people. During that same period, the country’s leaders have reportedly collected more than $25 billion in oil revenue.

Checker emphasized that leaders have long exploited self-inflicted crises and made “insincere promises of reform and election preparations” as tools to elicit international donor support, even while simultaneously “obstructing the delivery of lifesaving assistance.”

In a pointed critique, the U.S. envoy referenced the history of the liberation struggle. He noted that for years before independence, the SPLM claimed to want to end “marginalization of the South by Khartoum,” yet he stated that South Sudan’s own leaders now “perpetuate that marginalization” by failing to use public revenue for the good of the South Sudanese people.

The U.S. position is now clear: “The time has long passed” for the government to rely on the international community to fill gaps created by mismanagement. Washington is demanding that public revenue be used appropriately to pay public sector salaries, invest in health and education, and contribute to humanitarian response efforts.