Earlier this month, a lawmaker alleged that South Sudanese Pounds (SSP) were circulating in parts of the Sudan’s Darfur region.
The calim was made by Micheal Ruot Koryom who had tabled an urgent motion highlighting the worsening cash shortage faced by citizens and civil servants across the country, noting that government employees have been left frustrated as banks repeatedly declare that they have no cash to withdraw.
Speaking to the media, Amb. Natana acknowledged that if the SSP were being used in RSF-held territories, the government would have no means of stopping it.
“We don’t have a definite confirmation that the South Sudan currency is being used in RSF areas. But what we can say is that there’s no way as a government that we can stop it if the currency is being used there,” Natana explained.
He added that it is common for currencies to cross borders into neighboring territories, stressing that such usage does not weaken a currency. “When money is used in areas outside its home country, it actually strengthens rather than weakens it, contrary to the situation South Sudan is experiencing now,” he said.
Amb. Natana pointed to liquidity shortages as the real challenge facing the South Sudanese economy. He attributed this partly to the slow adoption of digital financial services such as mobile money applications.
“For instance, when money is deposited through Momo and you want to withdraw it from an outlet, you are sometimes told there is no cash available,” he noted.
On the specific claims about the SSP being used in RSF-controlled areas, Natana said the government lacks presence in those territories, making verification difficult. He drew parallels with the liberation era, when South Sudanese communities regularly used currencies from neighbouring countries.
“In border areas with Kenya, people often used the Kenyan shilling. Along the Ugandan border, the Ugandan shilling was common, while in areas bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo, their local currency was in circulation,” he recalled.
Meanwhile, Natana disclosed that an ad hoc border committee had recently briefed President Salva Kiir on its ongoing work, which could help address some of the related cross-border monetary concerns.
