By William Madouk
Financial Action Task Force (FATF has removed South Sudan from the list of countries with increased money laundering and financing of terrorism.
Government spokesman revealed that the minister of foreign affairs presented the report of South Sudan’s removal from the money laundering grey list.
According to Michael Makuei Lueth, the cabinet meeting chaired by President Salva Kiir Mayardit, endorsed the report.
“We listened to a report from the Minister of Foreign Affairs on his last visit to the USA,” Makuei told journalists after Friday’s Council of Ministers meeting.
He said South Sudan was accused of violating financial rules and regulations, risking swift code suspension but the minister of foreign affairs halted it.
“So, they wanted to suspend us from the Swift code system. [But] the minister went there, negotiated with them, and a team was set up, and an assessment was made,” Makuei narrated.
The Financial Action Taskforce found that the government of South Sudan is conforming to all the financial rules and regulations.
“As such, it does not require any financial action. So, it was passed, and that was appreciated,” he added.
On August 20, 2023, the former minister of foreign affairs, Deng Dau, held a meeting with a high-level delegation from the Eastern and Southern African Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG).
He affirmed the country’s commitment to implementing anti-money laundering and counter-financing terrorist measures.
Also in June 2021, South Sudan made a high-level political commitment to work with the FATF to strengthen the effectiveness of its anti-money laundering monitoring.
On November 20, 2021, the Internal Security Bureau of the South Sudan National Security Service (NSS) arrested a suspect with a money-laundering machine used for printing fake dollars.
David John Kumuri, the Director of Public Relations in the National Security Service internal bureau, said the suspect was arrested with the machine from one of the hotels in Juba, and a quantity of fake $111, 000 notes were also seized.
But on March 20, 2023, a global body preventing fraudulent money flow—TATF—placed South Sudan on the list of countries with increased money laundering and financing of terrorism.
According to the report from FATF, South Sudan was asked to continue implementing its action plan.