The dark side of state building and high corruption in South Sudan
By Dut Deng Kok, Juba, South Sudan
October 28, 2015 (SSB) — For sustainable human security, state building is the only endgame. Absent state, traditional mechanisms and authority structures might indeed manage communal issues, perhaps even better than would the state. Trans-communal issues like environmental degradation, complex humanitarian emergencies, and large scale conflicts/ senseless war, however, go beyond the jurisdiction and capacity of such entities.
Building a legitimate, professional, and representative state, therefore, is only way to address the problems of the modern, interconnected world. This process is inherently messy, however, as demonstrated in the case of the world’s newest state, South Sudan, number four on this year’s failed state index.
We must be clear eyed about what state building means. New states bring with them many things, and foremost is often unrealistic expectations. A state is not exogenous entity dropped in from above to solve the problems down below.
A polarized society gives rise to a polarized state. Institutions can be co-opted and power abused, especially in the early years as militias are subsumed into the national security forces and war lords are appointed or elected into positions of national leadership.
in addition to the hundreds of thousands of displaced persons in neighboring countries like Uganda and Kenya even with in the country, including I and my family destroyed properties and infrastructures, and near total economic devastation in country, there were deeply ingrained cleavages throughout society exacerbated by the senseless conflicts.
A long with the well-defined fault lines between rival armies and militias and the political leadership of the two SPLM”, groups divided further along tribal and position fighters lines as well as political control and the economic opportunity.
Nevertheless Riek bad Kiir good” perception helped spurs action to end the conflicts and push for implementation to end the senseless war between Kiir and risk.
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