Circulation of SSP in Darfur is national security threat, says Dr. Maliet
Dr. Abraham Maliet, a senior South Sudanese economist, has described it as a national security threat, warning that the outflow of local currency could worsen the current liquidity and market stability.
By Aguok Chok
The alleged circulation of South Sudanese Pounds (SSP) in Sudan’s Darfur region has raised alarms among economists and legislators in the country.
Dr. Abraham Maliet, a senior South Sudanese economist, has described it as a national security threat, warning that the outflow of local currency could worsen the current liquidity and market stability.
“I want to say that it is possible that the South Sudanese Pound is being used as a legal tender as a force. This might be one of the issues that is contributing to the current instability of the SSP,” he warned.
Dr. Maliet explained that currency leakage creates significant challenges for liquidity management and central bank stability.
“It is about the supply and demand. Currently, because the South Sudanese Pound is very limited in the market, or it is not circulating a lot, inflation is rising, and there is no liquidity in the banks, which is supposed to raise the value of the local currency (SSP),” he said.
He further warned that some of the cash shortage could be due to deliberate hoarding by powerful individuals.
“People are hiding the money. This is a strategy that is always used by big business people or tycoons to sabotage the government so that the government will be able to fail, so this issue of lack of liquidity will at least at some points be able to affect the government,” he explained.
The economist argued that the Ministry of Finance and the Financial Intelligence Unit must take decisive action to block the outflow of the national currency.
“It is about collaboration. This is something that can be treated as a national security issue because it affects the operation of the government, private sector, and individual citizens,” he said.
Dr. Maliet called for urgent reforms, including adopting electronic systems such as mobile money to reduce reliance on physical cash.
“The government needs to think otherwise. You can use electronic system wiring, use of things like mobile money,” he said.
“The Ministry of Finance is supposed to collaborate with the Central Bank at the opposite top of the government of Sudan and try to tell them that our currency is not supposed to be used as legal tender in Sudan,” he advised.
On Monday, a leading lawmaker in the Transitional National Legislative Assembly tabled an urgent motion, alleging that South Sudanese Pounds are being used in parts of Darfur under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
He said this leakage has worsened cash shortages across South Sudan, leaving civil servants and ordinary citizens frustrated.
“This situation has caused untold suffering to civil servants, many of whom are forced to borrow from other sources, creating further financial strain on their families,” the national MP said.
Several lawmakers also backed his call for accountability.
“Our currency must never be used as a legal tender within another country. This compromises the sovereignty of the state. It should be taken as a national security threat,” Dr. Maliet concluded.
On Tuesday, the Business Community urged the Vice President of the Economic Cluster, the Minister of Finance, and other relevant institutions to convene an emergency economic conference to address the current crisis.
Ayii Duang Ayii, Chairperson of the Business Community, warned that the harsh economic conditions, worsened by shortages of both hard currency and local currency, are forcing many local businesses to close their doors. Ayii appealed for a platform to bring together the business sector and government institutions to openly discuss solutions and chart a way forward for South Sudan’s economy.
