South Sudan has vehemently denied claims that its military is involved in smuggling fuel and other essential items to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

South Sudan’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ramadan Mohammed Abdallah Goch, asserted that such accusations are baseless and undermine the country’s efforts to promote peace and stability in Sudan.

“South Sudan was the first country in the region to devise a peaceful initiative to end the conflict in Sudan,” Goch stated. “Our President, Salva Kiir Mayardit, has been actively engaged in seeking a peaceful resolution to the conflict and has reached out to all parties involved,” he said.

He also highlighted President Kiir’s diplomatic efforts to bring an end to the fighting, including his engagement with the United Nations General Assembly, the African Union (AU), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

Goch’s comments come in response to a recent UN report that identified South Sudan as one of the countries whose territory is being used by the RSF to obtain fuel and other supplies.

The report specifically pointed to army officers based in Wau, saying that “trucks carrying fuel moved from Juba to Wau, weekly. From Wau, fuel was transported in civilian cars such as Landcruiser to Raja, then to RSF-controlled areas in South Darfur, through Kafia-Kingi.”

However, the experts excluded Juba’s involvement or knowledge of this operation.

The ongoing conflict in Sudan, which erupted in April 2023, has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions of people. The conflict has also strained relations between Sudan and its neighbours, as many Sudanese nationals have sought refuge in neighbouring countries.

The conflict remains a major challenge to regional stability in East Africa.