US says South Sudan must take immediate action to maintain support

Credit: NRF

The United States has urged South Sudan’s transitional government to take immediate action to uphold peace, improve public financial management, protect foreign assistance and strengthen cooperation on immigration and border security, warning that continued U.S. support depends on meaningful progress in these areas.

In a statement issued Feb. 26, 2026, by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, Washington said South Sudan’s transitional government had repeatedly failed to meet its commitments to international partners and its responsibilities to the South Sudanese people.

The statement said President Donald Trump had made clear that the United States would not be taken advantage of and called on the transitional government to take immediate steps if it wants to maintain U.S. support.

The United States said South Sudan must urgently work to uphold peace and reduce the risk of renewed civil war by returning to dialogue among the parties to the 2018 peace agreement.Washington questioned the credibility of claims that such dialogue is taking place while First Vice President Riek Machar, whom it described as the head of the second-largest party to the agreement, remains under arrest and on trial.

Washington also called on the government to address what it described as the misuse of public revenue and ensure that state resources are directed toward appropriate public purposes, including payment of salaries, health and education services, humanitarian assistance and infrastructure development.

The State Department said U.S. taxpayer-funded emergency assistance should not substitute for good governance and transparent management of public finances.

The United States further demanded an end to what it described as abuse, exploitation and theft involving U.S. foreign assistance by South Sudanese officials at national, state and county levels. It said stronger accountability would help protect U.S. taxpayer dollars from waste while supporting efforts to transform South Sudan into a capable and reliable state for U.S. trade and investment.

The statement also raised concerns over immigration, saying South Sudan’s exploitation of the U.S. immigration system must end. Washington called for full cooperation from the South Sudanese transitional government with U.S. immigration laws and border security priorities.

The U.S. statement underscores growing pressure on South Sudan’s leadership to address political, governance and accountability concerns as the country continues implementing its 2018 peace agreement and works toward elections.

The United States remains one of South Sudan’s major international partners and a significant provider of humanitarian assistance, but Washington’s latest statement signals that governance, peace implementation, financial accountability and cooperation on immigration will remain key factors in its engagement with Juba.