07/06/2025
The Truth About Benjamin Bol Mel: South Sudan’s Billion-Dollar Scandal Hidden in Plain Sight
Benjamin Bol Mel is not just a businessman he is President Salva Kiir’s son-in-law, and one of the most powerful and untouchable figures in South Sudan. His rise to wealth and influence is not the result of innovation, but of corruption, nepotism, and abuse of power.
Let the facts speak for themselves.
💼 HOW DID BOL MEL GET RICH?
Bol Mel built his fortune by using his close family ties to President Kiir to secure exclusive, no-bid government contracts worth billions of dollars, mostly funded by South Sudan’s oil revenues.
Some of the most notable contracts include:
🛣 Juba–Bor Road — \$1.5 billion USD
🛣 Bhar El Ghazal Road Projects — \$711 million USD, the project's cost later escalated to $736 million USD.
🛣 Juba–Rumbek Road — $711 million USD, later raised to $736 million.
These contracts were awarded to his companies, especially ARC Africa Resources Corporation, without public bidding or transparency. The results? Most of the roads remain unfinished. Billions were paid and the people saw no benefit.
💸 WHAT MAKES THIS CORRUPTION?
No competition: Contracts were awarded behind closed doors violating basic procurement laws.
Oil mortgaged for roads: Future oil was used to pay for projects that never materialized.
Family ties over merit: His marriage into the President’s family gave him political immunity and access to unchecked wealth.
Failed delivery: The infrastructure promised never appeared despite full or partial payments.
This is not development. It’s theft disguised as leadership.
🚨 WHY WAS BOL MEL SANCTIONED?
In December 2017, the U.S. Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on Bol Mel’s companies under Executive Order 13664, which targets individuals and entities responsible for:
Undermining peace, security, or stability in South Sudan… through corruption and misappropriation of state assets.
Sanctioned Companies:
1. ABMC Thai-South Sudan Construction Co. Ltd.
2. Home and Away Ltd.
According to the U.S. Treasury, these companies:
Profited from fraudulent government contracts
Were used as vehicles for embezzling public funds
Played a role in fuelling the ongoing crisis in South Sudan
📄 Official Source: U.S. Treasury Sanctions → [Read the report](https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm0243)
Sanctions mean these companies are banned from doing business internationally, their assets are frozen, and they are flagged globally as high-risk and corrupt.
❓ THEN WHY WAS HE APPOINTED VICE PRESIDENT OF THE RULING PARTY?
That’s the tragedy of our system.
A man:
Accused of stealing billions
Sanctioned by a world power
Who failed to deliver basic infrastructure
…is not punished, but promoted.
This is not leadership it’s impunity.
When the son-in-law of the President becomes Vice President of the ruling party after looting national resources, it sends a clear message:
In South Sudan, loyalty to power matters more than loyalty to the people.
⚠️ WAKE UP, SOUTH SUDAN
This is not a tribal issue. This is not foreign propaganda. These are documented facts backed by international evidence, public reports, and national investigations.
The people of South Sudan deserve roads that work, hospitals that function, and a future not stolen by a few.
We must speak the truth even when it’s dangerous. Silence protects corruption. Truth destroys it.
SHARE THIS MESSAGE IF YOU BELIEVE:
✅ Public money belongs to the people not the President’s family
✅ Corrupt leaders must be held accountable not rewarded
✅ South Sudan can only move forward through transparency and justice
Bil Pam Radio 📸
