University of Juba Centres for Conflict Resolution and Peace and Development Studies in their study warned that the price of failing to bring lasting peace in South Sudan could be 158 billion US Dollars over the next two decades.
The report titled ‘South Sudan: the Cost of War’ shows severe economic costs that were not known and introduces empirical research for immediate action by South Sudan’s neighbours and African states to stop the fighting and avoid massive economic and financial costs.
The report quantifies the additional economic costs that would be incurred by South Sudan should the conflict continue beyond.
It takes into account declines in oil revenue, remittances, increases in military spending and looks at costs in other countries in the region and global levels.
The Centres called on the African Union Peace and Security Council to publicly release the findings of the Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan as soon as possible and use them as the basis for imposing sanctions on individuals.
The Director of Centre for Peace and Development Studies of the University of Juba Luka Biong Deng called on at the AU summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia all heads of African states to next week realize that South Sudan’s economy simply cannot afford to forgo billions of Dollars for five more years of conflict.