01/08/2025
U.S. Government Rejects South Sudan’s Request to Lift Sanctions and Prosecute FVP Dr. Riek Machar: Sovereignty Is Not for Sale
Washington, D.C. – July 2025
In a blunt and decisive move, the United States government under the Trump administration has categorically rejected a controversial request from the Government of South Sudan seeking American support to prosecute First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny and to lift sanctions against Vice President Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel. The request, first revealed by Politico, has sparked international condemnation and domestic outrage, as critics say it reflects a dangerous willingness by Juba to barter the nation’s sovereignty in exchange for political immunity for elites.
At the center of the request is Dr. Bol Mel, a powerful figure currently under U.S. sanctions for alleged corruption and misappropriation of state resources. Instead of distancing itself from those facing credible allegations of looting the nation, the South Sudanese government went further—offering to accept deportees from the United States, including individuals with no South Sudanese heritage or legal ties to the country, in exchange for sanctions relief.
According to diplomatic sources in Washington, the U.S. government firmly rejected the proposal, calling it an attempt to politicize justice and compromise the integrity of U.S. foreign policy. A senior Trump administration official described the deal as “a transactional play that sacrifices human dignity and national sovereignty for the benefit of a few politically connected individuals.”
