Qatar bank seeks U.S. enforcement of $1bn arbitration award against South Sudan

Qatar National Bank (QNB) has petitioned a U.S. federal court to enforce a $1.02 billion arbitration award against South Sudan,stemming from an unpaid wartime loan originally intended to stabilize the fledgling nation’s economy.

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia,QNB’s request asks the court to treat the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) ruling as “a final court judgment”. The bank argues South Sudan and its central bank defaulted on a $700 million loan agreement reached in 2018,which was meant to consolidate earlier debts dating back to the country’s 2011 independence and subsequent civil war. South Sudan drew down nearly $660 million in early 2019 but failed to make its first repayment,triggering a legal battle that culminated in a 2024 ICSID ruling.

The tribunal awarded QNB over $1 billion,including interest,fees,and legal costs. Despite the decision,South Sudan,which has the world’s lowest GDP per capita in 2025 as per IMF,has not paid or contested the ruling. QNB’s legal team insists the court’s role is to enforce — not re-examine — the arbitration outcome,citing South Sudan’s waiver of sovereign immunity through contract terms and ICSID membership. If enforced,the ruling could lead to asset seizures and intensify diplomatic pressure on Africa’s poorest nation,whose economy remains crippled by war,debt,and declining oil revenues.