U.S. Sentences South Sudanese Refugee for Attempted Arms Smuggling
A federal court in the United States has sentenced South Sudanese human rights advocate and economist Peter Biak Ajak to 46 months in prison after he was found guilty of attempting to smuggle weapons to South Sudan to facilitate a coup against the government in Juba.
Ajak, who fled to the U.S. in mid-2020 citing threats from President Salva Kiir, was arrested in March 2024 alongside his associate Abraham Chol Ketch, a U.S. citizen.
Both individuals pleaded guilty to violating U.S. arms export laws after conspiring to acquire nearly 4million dollars’ worth of arms between February 2023 and February 2024.
The weapons they attempted to smuggle included over 1,000 automatic rifles and machine guns, 200 rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launchers, and 10 Stinger missile launchers.
Their arrest followed a year of communications with individuals they believed to be weapon suppliers, who were actually undercover federal agents.
Previously, Abraham Chol Ketch received a sentence of 41 months in prison. John Eisenberg from the National Security Division of the Justice Department stated that Ajak "conspired to export American weapons to South Sudan with the intent to seize power."
This case underscores the U.S. commitment to combat arms smuggling and prevent coups internationally, regardless of whether suspects are refugees or residents within its borders.
