JUBA — September 28, 2026
South Sudan’s oil sector is facing renewed scrutiny over alleged opaque contracts, fuel-import arrangements and the allocation of oil cargoes, with an open letter demanding investigations into deals reportedly worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
The letter, addressed to President Salva Kiir Mayardit and Presidential Advisor Adut Salva Kiir, alleges that national oil resources have been diverted through politically connected networks while ordinary South Sudanese continue to face economic hardship.
Five oil cargoes raise questions
The authors question the reported allocation of five oil cargoes to the South Sudan Electoral Commission for October and November, demanding disclosure of their value, beneficiaries and how the proceeds will be accounted for.
They argue that oil revenues should be subjected to greater public scrutiny, particularly when used to finance electoral activities.
Pacific Petroleum fuel deal under scrutiny
The letter also targets the Government-to-Government fuel-import arrangement involving Pacific Petroleum Co. Ltd.
It alleges that the company was granted exclusive rights to import and distribute fuel through a single-source arrangement, limiting competition and contributing to higher prices.
The dispute has already reached the courts. The letter cites a June 24, 2026 Court of Appeal injunction concerning the arrangement and alleges that government officials subsequently acted contrary to the court’s orders.
Those claims require verification against the full court record and responses from the government and companies involved.
$251.45 million contract network
The most substantial allegation concerns Sudanese businessman Mohanad Ahmed and a network of 11 companies.
According to the open letter, the companies are linked to 37 contracts with a combined stated value of $251.45 million.
The alleged contracts cover diesel and lubricant supplies, aviation, drilling services, waste management, catering, vehicles, IT equipment, airport runway maintenance, accommodation and pipeline services.
The companies and stated values include:
– Osiris Logistics & Supply — $52.35 million
– Al-Medina Petroleum Company — $48 million
– South Intercontinental Company — $60 million
– Jebel Classic Aviation — $5 million
– Merge-Tech — $12 million
– Afro.Petro.Co. — $13 million
– Afro Universal — $19.6 million
– Impulse Energy IT — $21 million
– Alarm Energy — $6.9 million
– Power Lift Company — $2.6 million
– Afrik Company — $11 million
The letter calls for a forensic audit to establish how the contracts were awarded, who ultimately owns the companies and whether procurement and local-content rules were followed.
Trinity Energy questions
The document also raises questions about Trinity Energy’s historic crude allocations and trading activities, citing concerns previously raised by The Sentry regarding certain expenses and potential corruption risks.
It further alleges potential conflicts of interest involving Ann Kathure Rutere, identified as an executive associated with Trinity Energy and Rakam Investment.
These allegations have not, by themselves, established criminal wrongdoing and require examination against corporate records and the companies’ responses.
Calls for transparency
The authors are demanding:
1. Review of the Pacific Petroleum fuel arrangement.
2. A forensic audit of the 37 contracts.
3. Investigation of alleged violations of court orders.
4. Transparency over oil cargo allocations.
5. Publication of G-to-G agreements and cargo records.
6. Competitive procurement and greater disclosure of beneficial ownership.
At the heart of the controversy is a question with major implications for South Sudan: who controls the country’s oil wealth, and who ultimately benefits from it?
The government and companies named in the allegations have an opportunity to respond, while the underlying contracts, court records and ownership documents could provide the evidence needed to establish what actually happened.
