(JUBA) – South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has rejected reports that the South Sudanese Pound (SSP) is being widely used in Sudan’s Darfur and Kordofan regions, particularly in territories controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The ministry’s denial came after an alliance of armed and political groups backed by the RSF announced the formation of a parallel government in Sudan on 20 July 2025. The move has intensified instability across the border and sparked speculation in Juba that South Sudan’s currency may be circulating in RSF held areas.
The reports surfaced amid a liquidity crisis inside South Sudan, where commercial banks have struggled to provide cash to customers. Lawmakers last week called for urgent intervention, with some proposing a currency reform to reduce the volume of money allegedly hoarded outside the formal banking system.
Chagor Ajak, a lawmaker representing the South Sudan Opposition Alliance in the Transitional National Legislative Assembly, claimed he had received information from unnamed banks indicating that large amounts of SSP were circulating in Darfur and Kordofan. He told parliament that some traders in Juba were smuggling SSP across the border, worsening the shortage at home.
“We want to summon the financial intelligence unit,” Ajak said. “I asked a bank manager why they do not have SSP, and he said a lot of it is in Darfur in areas controlled by the RSF because they do not have their own currency there. The Sudanese government changed its currency, so they are using ours.”
Although Ajak’s claims remain unverified, residents in Sudan’s West Kordofan state told media that the South Sudanese Pound is indeed accepted for daily transactions.
“I have South Sudanese pounds in my pocket right now and I can use them to buy anything here in El Meiram,” one resident said.
However, accounts from South Darfur contradict this, with citizens in Nyala, the state capital, saying the currency is not used in most areas.
“The South Sudanese pound is not used in Nyala. It is only accepted in places like El Rigeibat in East Darfur, close to the South Sudanese border,” one resident explained.
Responding to the reports, Philip Jada Natana, Director General for Bilateral Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said the government had not received any official confirmation of SSP circulation in Sudan.
“We have no clear evidence that our currency is being used in RSF held areas,” Natana told the press. “We do not have a government presence in those territories, so we cannot confirm this information.”
He added that even if the reports were true, the government would have little control over the spread of its currency outside South Sudan:
“Money moves. During the liberation struggle, parts of South Sudan used currencies from neighbouring countries: Kenyan shillings in Narus, Ugandan shillings in border areas, and Congolese francs near the DRC.”
Natana argued that the current liquidity crisis is driven not by cross border circulation of the SSP but by the reluctance of the public to use banks and digital platforms.
“The real problem is that many people keep their money at home. There is resistance to adopting mobile money and other digital platforms. Many citizens are simply not familiar with them,” he noted.
Liquidity Concerns in South Sudan (September 2025)
| Issue Reported | Details |
|---|---|
| Bank liquidity shortage | Banks unable to provide sufficient SSP to customers |
| Alleged cause by lawmakers | Large volumes of SSP circulating in Darfur and Kordofan |
| Government position | No official evidence of SSP circulation in RSF held areas in Sudan |
| Resident reports | SSP used in some West Kordofan border towns but not in major Darfur city |
| Alternative explanation by government | Public hoarding of cash and lack of trust in banks and mobile money |
