Our Country South Sudan is Now a Failed State in the Region of Africa
By Daniel Machar Dhieu, Juba
March 16, 2015 (SSB) – Our political leaders have exposed the fact that we do not have any systems in place for self governance. Even though the president is trying to rally us into working towards our political recovery, the present of tribal politics or climate politic does not allow us for stability.
It is most unfortunate, in fact, downright embarrassing that in this milestone year of president Kiir’s reign this country is now a basket case.
Members of the parliament last two weeks on Monday March 9, 2015 were at pains when they received the news about the failed of peace talks in Ethiopia capital and actually call upon on IGAD and international communities to hold constructive consultations with the people of South Sudan and their respective communities in order to find ways of addressing our present political crisis within this year.
In this point there is need to call upon the nation to work harder and harder if we are to contribute to the peace development and conflict ending in our country through campaigning for peace and reconciliation in forgiving each other. Each one of us should put in an extra effort so that we can double our effort and to achieve our national stability.
In challenging times like this, our arms forces should develop a new policy of togetherness as national army and dislike the mindset of being driven by the tribal concept leaders and actually accept the direction that help the nation.
It is not the failure of citizens and international community that has got us where we are. It is the failure of government in leadership to run this country in a proper manner that has turned us into a non functional state. The government has so far quite enough without punishing the wrong players in this nation. They were not made accountable for their crimes and they were not questioned at all.
I remembered the functional speech of H.E Salva Kiir Mayardit, president of the republic of South Sudan in 2012 during the celebration of the first anniversary of South Sudan independence on downsizing the government due to economic problem.
The speech was so functional and the massage reach the grassroots faster as it was well received by the local people. So in the last, the promise was not implanted immediately until he down the whole cabinet just a day in 2013 July 23rd.
The president was having a plan of solving economic problem than political problem and ideas on how this country would be move to First World status. Then, he called on for fresh ideas to diversify the economy. He spoke of hard work, determination and, most importantly, creative thinking in a bid to make this country move forward.
The president was actually right to put the challenges to all of us, now we need to ask ourselves why we have failed in all these initiatives. South Sudan is bless with educated people many in our society have MBAs; hold PhDs and scores of others are naturally intelligent and creative.
What do you think is the problem? Simply our problem is basically on personal interest most of our leaders like developing their stomach than delivering public services. We sincerely lost our struggle main point.
In this crisis we have two choices: We can either wallow in a sense of despair or hope for a stroke of a miracle to bail us out, or we can change our attitudes, think creatively, work hard, unite and make sacrifices to tackle these challenges ahead of us. We have to accept our challenges in-order in this nation. Otherwise we may lose what we have achieved to foreign policy makers.
What is most unfortunate about the president’s speech is that it does not recognize that South Sudan politics is not geared towards a people-friendly initiative that gives space for general public or citizens to contribute to the revival of this country. Politicians are simply mouth worriers who aim at leadership challenges. Local people simply do as they are told, no questions asked. They are automatons diplomatic.
The citizens or local people are not interesting in leadership campaigns they are only interesting in development and improvement of national stability as their way of life and co-existing in the nation in-order to run their businesses in the country.
It is now common knowledge that the policy for filling executive positions in some of the institutions that could help turn this country around is not necessarily competence to deliver but rather it is about loyalty not only to a political system whose definition still escapes its most loyal acolytes, but also about wetting the beaks of individuals who happen to be in positions of leadership at a particular time.
Since 2011 of the independence of this nation we are having the records that show the employment average and how applicants are accepted to an important position in this country, whatever the qualifications, without a guarantee of absolute loyalty to what people believes in, whatever the cost.
For example, the story is told that those who applied when the post advertised are always over looked despite their exception al qualifications in the world of recruitment and labor policy. In this article, I want the entire citizen and the government at large to calm the situation for stability of the nation through peace and reconciliation.
In my point of view, let the government be concern a lot on national affairs. And the citizen shall also be aware of government plan and performance on development and security situation of the country, and ensure that our people are fully equipped with knowledge and skills to be competitive in everything.
Again, the question has to be asked of whether the present leadership in government is the right one to allow for development or not?
Indeed, there is no doubt that corruption in the country has grown it own horns to confuse people across the nation. Actually there is nothing to mention that government tried to discourage or stop this culture among the people of South Sudan.
Instead, we have seen a systematic development of this policy and creativity of corrupting the nation by government officials. The Corruption, particularly in the tendering process, is one of the biggest causes for crisis in this country.
What we need is a viable plan that will move this country away from being a tribal political centre and fail state.
The writer is the Student at South Sudan Christian University for Science and Technology (SSCUST). Contact him on machardhieu@gmail.com and 0925228899
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