The Troika should up the ante against Juba if their words are to have any meaning in the lives of South Sudanese

Lately, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States, commonly known as "Troika" in Sudan and South Sudan in the context of peace, have been talking...and talking...and talking...a lot. 

This has not always been the case. They have been, since the mid-1990s during the North-South war in Sudan, action-oriented  

Today, with embassies in Juba, all they do is issue ineffective press releases or statements. That is all. Necessarily diplomatic, yes. But what does that do for South Sudanese? Nothing.

For any change to materialize in South Sudan, the incumbent leadership must be subjected to something that would make it petrified. So far, nothing of the kind has been availed. Virtually nothing.

Targeted sanctions have not worked. Arms embargo has not worked. External pressure has not work. 

On July 3, 2026, Mr. Michael Adler, the US ambassador to Juba said words that continue to make me scratch my head. They make me scratch my head not because they are untrue. No. They make me shake my head because they have become platitudes. 

Here Ambassador Adler:

The topography of corruption: Mr. James Deng Wal Achien and lack of accountability and transparency in the multi-million dollar J1 construction project

By the Editor*

 

"On perusal, the process was not carried out in accordance with procedures prescribed by the Public Procurement and Disposal of Asset Act, 2018 by conducting competitive tendering so that value for money could be obtained and cost reduced." Moulana Filberto Mayuot Mareng, March 25, 2022 (letter)

Photo: Government of South Sudan

The construction at South Sudan's State House, commonly known as Juba One (J1), has resumed. "The J1 project," according to the office of the president, was "ordered back into motion by President Kiir after a high-level meeting with the Oversight Committee."  

This project is causing some concerns among some people in South Sudan because of lack of transparency. While the government departments and officials involved in the project between 2021 and 2026 are aware of the details, the South Sudanese public only knows there is a construction project at J1.

Given the importance of J1 to the South Sudanese sovereignty and nationhood, there are many questions the office of the president should answer for the sake of transparency and accountability. 

The documents

 Using documentary sources from a source whose identity will not be revealed here for security reasons, this article explains why the construction is causing some concerns. The documents were forwarded to me by a concerned South Sudanese living in Juba. Concerned about the possibility that "The J1 project"  is a front for the siphoning of public funds, the individual believes the public needs to know some details about the project and the people involved in it. 

I have reached out to the office of the president, the ministry of information and the some officials involved but I have not heard back from them. I will update this article should any details change. 

Issues of concern

There are a number of issues that should concern the public. It is of course up to the office of the president to address them transparently. Unfortunately, transparency and accountability are institutional requirements South Sudanese officials ignore or disdain. They are apparently beneath them. 

The first issue of concern is the nature of the contract between the office of the president and "Rams Civil Works and Engineering Consultant Ltd" (Here after RAMS), drafted on April 8th, 2022. 

Note that the company sometimes writes the name as "RAMS for Civil Work and Engineering Consultant Ltd." The reader should also not that this South Sudanese [RAMS] company should not be confused with RAM Civil Engineering, a Canadian company. I want to make that clear. 

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