FEDERALhearing transcript

Congressional Hearing on South Sudan's Peace and Security

Original title: SOUTH SUDAN'S PROSPECTS FOR PEACE AND SECURITY

January 1, 2016

South Sudan Foreign Policy Humanitarian Aid International Security Oil Economics

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The Frame

What this does

The hearing informs U.S. foreign policy and humanitarian aid strategies toward South Sudan, which directly impacts the allocation of federal resources and diplomatic engagement in the region.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

South Sudanese citizens

The stability and economic conditions discussed in the hearing directly impact the daily security and livelihood of the population.

U.S. Department of State

The agency is responsible for implementing diplomatic strategies and managing relations with South Sudan.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2016.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

This document is a transcript of a 2016 House Subcommittee hearing regarding the stability, economic challenges, and security situation in South Sudan five years after its independence. Experts and government officials provided testimony on the country's heavy reliance on oil revenue, infrastructure deficits, and ongoing internal conflict.

Key Facts

South Sudan became an independent nation on July 9, 2011, following a January 2011 referendum.
Oil production accounts for approximately 98 percent of South Sudan's government revenue.
As of April 2016, South Sudan was earning between $9 and $12 per barrel of oil due to falling global prices.
The country faces significant infrastructure deficits in transportation and power, hindering agricultural and industrial development.
Ongoing insecurity and the displacement of farmers have prevented the growth of the agricultural sector.
The hearing was held on April 27, 2016, in the Rayburn House Office Building.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is South Sudan's economy struggling?

The economy is heavily dependent on oil (98% of revenue), and falling global oil prices combined with a lack of infrastructure and ongoing conflict have severely limited revenue and development.

What was the purpose of this hearing?

To examine the prospects for peace and security in South Sudan five years after it gained independence.

Why It Matters

The hearing informs U.S. foreign policy and humanitarian aid strategies toward South Sudan, which directly impacts the allocation of federal resources and diplomatic engagement in the region.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Economic Vulnerability

The hearing highlights the extreme risk of a single-commodity economy (oil) in a developing nation facing conflict.

South Sudan

Connected Entities

personDonald Booth“Special Envoy to Sudan and South Sudan, U.S. Department of State”Map →

personBob Leavitt“Deputy Assistant Administrator, USAID”Map →

personChristopher H. Smith“Chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and ”Map →

organizationU.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs“The committee hosting the hearing”Map →

personJohn Prendergast“Founding director of the Enough Project”Map →

locationSouth Sudan“The subject nation of the hearing”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance65
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy40
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz15
Current news / social attention level

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