U.S. halts aid to parts of South Sudan over government ‘abuse and obstruction’

JUBA — The United States has suspended foreign assistance in Ayod County of Jonglei State and launched a review of aid to Western Bahr el-Ghazal state, citing “continued abuse and obstruction” by South Sudanese officials that has hindered humanitarian operations.

The U.S. Embassy in Juba announced on Thursday that assistance to Ayod County in Jonglei State was halted effective Jan. 8, 2026. Officials are also considering “significant reductions” in Western Bahr el-Ghazal, where life-saving medical supplies have reportedly been blocked for months.

The decision follows a Dec. 11 warning from the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, which demanded the transitional government stop imposing “illicit costs” on those delivering aid.

While Washington has provided more than $9.5 billion in assistance to South Sudan since its independence in 2011, embassy officials allege a worsening pattern of predation and rent-seeking directed at donor activities.

The embassy detailed specific incidents that triggered the suspension, noting that on Jan. 2, the Ayod County Commissioner reportedly detained an aid worker who refused an “illegal request” to surrender assets from a U.S. foreign assistance partner.

“On January 2, the Ayod County Commissioner detained an aid worker who refused an illegal request to surrender assets from a U.S. foreign assistance partner,” the statement extended to Sudans Post said.

In Western Bahr el-Ghazal, the State Minister of Health has allegedly prevented the transfer of pharmaceutical supplies between partners since November, ignoring repeated requests from the transitional government to release them.

“Since last November, the Western Bahr el-Ghazal State Minister of Health has prevented the transfer of pharmaceutical supplies from one U.S. foreign assistance partner to another,” it said.

It said that “transitional government officials have ignored repeated requests to release the supplies.”

“Today’s actions demonstrate U.S. resolve to forcefully respond when South Sudanese officials take advantage of the United States instead of working in partnership with us to help the South Sudanese people,” the embassy statement said.

The current standoff is rooted in a long history of aid being used as a strategic tool in South Sudan. Since the outbreak of civil war in 2013, humanitarian access has been a central point of contention, with belligerents often using aid denial to punish rival-held territories.

Obstruction has evolved into a systematic “political economy of war,” where officials frequently demand “rents” or impose illicit fees in exchange for access to vulnerable populations.

Beyond financial barriers, South Sudan remains one of the world’s most dangerous locations for relief workers, characterized by direct attacks, asset seizures, and bureaucratic impediments like the intentional delay of visas and travel permits.

The move comes amid broader U.S. foreign policy shifts in late 2025 and early 2026, including a 90-day global freeze on all new foreign aid obligations for review. While roughly 9.3 million South Sudanese — about 80% of the population — remain dependent on foreign relief, Washington indicated it would no longer allow the transitional government to “exploit”  taxpayer dollars.

“We call on the transitional government to take immediate remedial steps, starting by holding accountable all South Sudanese officials who have interfered with or imposed illicit costs on U.S. foreign assistance. The Trump Administration has a zero-tolerance policy for theft and diversion of life-saving assistance,” the embassy stated, calling for the immediate accountability of officials who have interfered with or imposed illicit costs on U.S. aid. The government in Juba has yet to issue a formal response to the suspension.