A picture showing logo of US gov't. Photo credit: curtesy

The United States government has threatened to reduce humanitarian funding over what it calls exorbitant fees imposed on aid shipments and the blocking of UN peacekeeping operations by South Sudan’s transitional government.

In a statement issued by the Bureau of African Affairs at the US State Department yesterday, Washington accused Juba of imposing illicit charges on humanitarian agencies.

The statement described these actions as violations of South Sudan’s international obligations.

The State Department called on the transitional government to end the charges on aid shipments and warned it will carry out a comprehensive review of its assistance in South Sudan.

“These actions constitute egregious violations of South Sudan’s international obligations. We call on the transitional government to halt these actions immediately. If it does not, the United States will initiate a comprehensive review of our foreign assistance in South Sudan with the likelihood of making significant reductions,” read the statement in part.

The U.S. government further blamed South Sudan’s authorities for the ongoing humanitarian crisis, citing poor governance, failure to use public revenue for the benefit of the people, and insecurity.

The statement highlighted that the transitional government has received an estimated $25 billion in oil revenue since 2011 but has repeatedly failed to address the country’s growing public needs.

It added that the United States has spent over $9.5 billion of American taxpayer money on foreign assistance in South Sudan since independence in 2011.

The government of South Sudan has not yet commented on the accusations.

According to its website, the United States provides $1 billion annually in humanitarian and development assistance and peacekeeping support to South Sudan.

It also supports civil society and independent media to ensure that diverse voices are heard and supports activities in conflict mitigation, trauma awareness, and reconciliation.