By Kei Emmanuel Duku
A high-level coalition of Western nations has issued a blistering demand to the South Sudanese transitional government, calling for the immediate recovery of over 1,500 metric tons of stolen food aid following a brazen assault on a World Food Programme (WFP) convoy.
The joint statement issued by the Embassies of Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States, alongside the European Union delegation condemns the recent looting of twelve WFP boats in Upper Nile State. The massive shipment was a lifeline intended to feed 73,000 people currently facing desperate conditions.
“The hijacking of these resources is not just a theft of cargo; it is a direct assault on the survival of tens of thousands of vulnerable citizens,” read part of the statement. “Taxpayers in our home countries fund this assistance to save lives, and we expect that funding to achieve its intended impact, not to be siphoned away by criminal actors.”
The Western powers are urging South Sudanese leaders at all levels of government to take prompt, decisive action to retrieve the stolen grain and equipment. The coalition emphasized that the security of humanitarian workers and medical facilities is non-negotiable and that the current environment of impunity must end.
“Attacks on humanitarian and medical facilities are entirely unacceptable,” added the statement. The diplomatic group further called upon leaders from all political parties to “create conditions that ensure the unhindered delivery of assistance” to those suffering from the triple threat of famine, malnutrition, and conflict-driven displacement.
In South Sudan, the delivery of aid is often the only barrier between survival and catastrophe. This latest incident highlights a growing trend of interference with humanitarian “community laws” the informal and formal agreements that grant aid workers safe passage through contested territories. When these administrative norms fail, the entire regional stability is threatened.
“We cannot continue to provide aid if the very leaders of this nation do not protect the routes through which it travels,” the diplomatic group warned. “Our commitment to the South Sudanese people remains, but the government must show the political will to protect these life-saving resources.”
With 73,000 lives now hanging in the balance, the international community is watching Juba closely to see if the transitional government will move to recover the looted assets or allow the humanitarian crisis in Upper Nile State to spiral out of control.