A top US official is visiting east and central Africa to discuss the illicit financial flows from South Sudan.
The
Department of Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial
Intelligence, Ms Sigal Mandelker, was in Uganda on Monday and was
scheduled to proceed to Nairobi and DR Congo to also discuss the
freezing of the assets of the South Sudan leaders blacklisted by
Washington over alleged corruption and the fuelling of the conflict in
the young nation.
According to a statement seen by the
media, Ms Mandelker's visit would focus on how the neighbouring
countries could stop the financial flows from South Sudan and the DR
Congo.
A lobby group
“This
trip represents an historic step for a senior Treasury official in
engagement in sub-Saharan Africa and can potentially make a major impact
on these long-standing crises by showing how strategic tools of
financial pressure can increase US leverage and mark a break from
previously ineffective approaches,” a lobby group, the Enough Project,
said.
Enough Project further said the US top official
would highlight the need for Kampala to act against the laundering of
the proceeds of corruption from South Sudan into Uganda.
“Actions in Uganda to seize the proceeds of corruption and stop
the flow of ill-gotten gains are necessary to punish South Sudan’s
leaders toward peace.
Rebel leader
“The
US Under Secretary Mandelker should reiterate that failure by Uganda to
address these issues will be met with an escalating set of pressures,”
the group said.
The US has sanctioned multiple South
Sudanese officials in the past for profiting from the war in the young
nation. They include Mr Michael Makuei, the Information minister, Gen
Gabriel Jok Riak, the Army Chief of Staff, and Gen Malek Reuben.
Also
sanctioned are rebel leader Gen Paul Malong and the Defence and Cabinet
Affairs ministers, Gen Kuol Manyang Juuk and Dr Elia Lomoro,
respectively.
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