South Sudan – 3 June 2016

IMF warns of further deteriorating economy in South Sudan

The world’s economic centre house – the International Monetary Fund (IMF) based in New York – has warned of further deteriorating economic situation in South Sudan unless quick economic reform policies were adopted and political environment eased.

The IMF staff team, led by Jan Mikkelsen, visited South the Sudan capital from 23 May 23 to 1 June, during which they held discussions in the context of the nation’s 2016 Article IV Consultation. Mikkelsen, the IMF’s top envoy for South Sudan, is also the mission’s chief for South Sudan and deputy division chief.

Sudan Tribune

South Sudan’s oil fields are becoming a wildlife trafficking hotspot

South Sudan’s oil industry, plagued by violence, corruption allegations, and environmental ruin, faces another crisis: the smuggling of illegal wildlife products.

On May 24, South Sudan’s wildlife service arrested an army officer allegedly attempting to transport chopped up tusks from eight elephants from Juba to the Paloich oil fields near the Sudanese border. The next day, police dogs at Juba’s airport sniffed out 10kg of frozen pangolin meat apparently belonging to a Chinese oil engineer who had just landed in Juba from Paloich. The army officer awaits prosecution, but the oil worker was released after a brief detention.

Quartz