U.S. Embassy suspends assistance to Ayod County
Local authorities in Ayod County, Jonglei State, say they have apologized to the U.S. Embassy in Juba after a dispute involving a humanitarian worker. County officials insist they remain committed to facilitating humanitarian operations and protecting aid staff working in the area.
Last Thursday, the United States, a major donor to South Sudan, suspended assistance to Ayod County. The U.S. Embassy cited interference, exploitation and theft by officials targeting American-funded aid programs as the reason for the decision.
Jan. 2 incident triggers diplomatic and operational fallout
The U.S. Embassy said the suspension followed an incident dated Jan. 2, 2026. In its account, the Ayod County commissioner allegedly detained a humanitarian worker after the worker refused to surrender assets belonging to a U.S. assistance partner.
County commissioner James Chuol Jiek, speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday, rejected the allegation that he ordered an arrest. He said the aid suspension came as a surprise and confirmed that county authorities have since sent an apology to the U.S. Embassy in Juba.
County commissioner says actions aimed at safeguarding aid workers
James Chuol Jiek said county officials were acting in good faith on Jan. 2, describing security pressures linked to violence near the border with Uror. He framed the situation as a protective response to a planned evacuation of workers supporting road construction.
“There was a communication for evacuation of aid workers supporting road construction work near our border with Uror, where SSPDF and SPLA-IO forces have been fighting,” he said. “To get there, one police officer approached an aid worker to get his motorbike, resulting in an altercation. However, the issue was quickly resolved. I was not involved and no one was detained.”
RRC coordinator calls incident ‘unfortunate’ and urges review
Kuac Biliu, Ayod County’s Relief and Rehabilitation Commission coordinator, said an apology had been submitted to the U.S. Embassy and asked that the suspension be reconsidered. He described the episode as a minor incident involving an aid worker and an unauthorized police officer.
“The incident involved an aid worker with IMA and an unauthorized police officer,” he said. “The police officer, while looking for a motorbike to inform road construction workers in Paluony to evacuate, approached the aid worker, resulting in an altercation. The aid worker’s motorbike had a puncture, was not taken, and he was not arrested. I even intervened and asked the police officer to hire a motorbike and leave the aid worker alone.”
He added: “We treated the incident as a minor one because it was resolved immediately. It is unfortunate that humanitarian services benefiting the community were suspended because of one person who was not authorized and was not acting on behalf of the government. So we apologize to the U.S. Embassy and appeal that they reconsider their decision.”
Humanitarian stakes remain high across South Sudan
The dispute unfolds in a countrywide context of extreme vulnerability. South Sudan is widely described as one of the world’s most severe humanitarian emergencies, with a large share of the population dependent on international assistance for day-to-day survival.