Today, State Department Sanctions Coordinator Ambassador James O’Brien and Bureau of African Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary Peter Lord convened a discussion with companies and associations operating in or providing services to companies in South Sudan’s oil sector. They were joined by UK and Norwegian Special Envoys to Sudan and South Sudan, Robert Fairweather and Jon Anton Johnson.
The meeting focused on the importance of adhering to South Sudanese law and the commitments South Sudan’s leaders made in the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan to manage the country’s oil revenue transparently and for the benefit of the South Sudanese people. The United States remains committed to imposing economic consequences on those engaged in corruption and in perpetuating violence and human rights abuses in South Sudan. Participants also discussed broader due-diligence standards that can help ensure that companies’ activities do not provide revenue to malign actors in South Sudan.