South Sudan Now Shifts To China for Aid

The government of South Sudan has now shifted its focus to China and asked for aid worth US $1.9 billion.

This comes after President Salvar Kiir, in an interview with a Kenyan TV station accused other countries for forgetting South Sudan to the extent where they’ve stopped funding some of the key projects in the youngest nation in Africa.

War broke out in Juba last month where more than 300 people are reported to have been killed with tens of thousands others displaced and businesses affected.

According to the South Sudanese Foreign Minister Deng Alor, the funds asked from China are meant to be used to develop oil fields as well as other infrastructural projects as roads. South Sudan hope to reopen the accessibility of the oil rich field of Unity State that has not been operational since the year 2013 when the country plunged back to civil war.

Read: UN Soldiers to be Deployed in Burundi as South Sudan Continues to Bleed

The fighting last month was triggered by the disagreement between the forces loyal to the then Vice President Dr. Riek Machar and those allied to President Salvar Kiir. Riek Machar has since taken off from Juba but he has asked IGAD to help him  get back his Vice President’s position as well as assuring him of his security. He said failure to do that, he will order his forces to attack Juba and topple Salvar Kiir.

The economy of South Sudan now lies in a dilapidated condition with most investors having already taken off from the troubled nation. The currency of South Sudan which was at one time voted as the most strongest among African currencies has now depreciated by more than 300 percent leaving many multinational businesses that had invested in the country counting losses.

Kenyan banks are most adversely affected with the current economic turmoil in South Sudan and most of them are contemplating closing down business and selling off their assets.