Ripples of a civil war – Young South Sudanese are migrating en masse (3)
8 min readBy Joseph Lino Wuor Abyei, Cairo – Egypt
September 1, 2015 (SSB) —- Joe, this young Egyptian physiotherapist, told this writer “there are a good number of young men from South Sudan squeezed in a room in Aduqqi, they want to migrate to Australia. You people, what is wrong in your country. Does it mean that if you are given another chance you would vote for unity?” Joe seemed unhappy, and Joe the writer of this article seemed embarrassed.
On the plane to Cairo there were more than a hundred young men and young women coming to Egypt. Some of them were students studying at various Egyptian universities and some others were seeking for a way to migrate as just revealed by Joe. Put in mind that there are four Egypt Air flights a week.
What has happened in “al dawla al waleeda, why are young men migrating? Joe, the Egyptian, revealed to this writer that South Sudanese youth are quietly deserting the country in large numbers. This writer is truly concerned about the turnabout of the situation in “al dawla al waleeda.”
What happened?
During the years of the struggle it was understandable that young men and women including some elderly left Sudan en masse. There was a legitimate cause that demanded the efforts of everyone, especially the young men.
Independence was declared just four years ago and it seems that the youth have not gotten what they were expecting; proper education and job opportunities. Then suddenly, rebellions broke out which demanded the participation of the young men in the fight on all sides.
In addition to the above facts, the regime in Khartoum has taken advantage of the opportunity of the ongoing rebellions under General so and so, to settle accounts with South Sudan and has embarked on rounding up all South Sudanese young men in Sudan and forced them into the war efforts on behalf of the rebel forces.
This writer has never heard that there is a compulsory or non-compulsory conscription in South Sudan since the rebellions broke out two years ago.
What are the reasons?
Europe is described “the old continent” while Africa is described the “young continent,” young in the sense that over sixty to seventy percent of the population is under thirty years old. This poses the prospect that soon; life in Africa may become unbearable due to the high rate of population growth in contrast to the decline in economic growth.
Under this stringent condition, young people in Africa do not see a bright future and have no option for a better life except through migrating to Europe.
On the other side, Europe and other economically advanced countries will soon find life unbearable in view of the rapidly declining rate of birth and therefore a rapidly decline in man power.
To solve the problem of the demand for cheap labor, Europe opted to accept young migrants from Africa and from the Middle East to come to Europe through their own means.
This silent open door migration policy has encouraged young people from Africa and the Middle East, to swim across the Mediterranean with the aim to reach Europe.
Like Europe, Australia is also encouraging young migrants from Africa and the Middle East for cheap labor.
It is in this context perhaps that some young South Sudanese are trying their luck to migrate to any of the advanced countries one can illegally reach. This is often confirmed by news report that among the migrants are Somalis, Eritreans, Ethiopians, Sudanese and South Sudanese. Therefore, it seems that the main motive for migrating is a search for a “good life,” as Ahmed, a Somali illegal migrant, said last year in Calais – France.
Matter of a fact most black Africans and people from the Middle East are yearning for a “good life.” This is an indication that things are really bad at home.
The first reason that is usually mentioned is civil wars. All those countries that export illegal young migrants are experiencing intense local wars in which the youth are the firewood. The second reason is abject poverty, which these young men see no end to it and no reason to endure. The third is that there are no opportunities for a better education. The forth reason, there are no employment opportunities.
If all these reasons or some of them are genuine, then why should young men waste time at home? In fact there are millions of South Sudanese in the Diaspora and they are not coming home, why?
Top the fact that Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan and add South Sudan are marked as highly security volatile countries. Then what is the reason(s) that should compel a young man/woman to stay at home?
Land of opportunities
South Sudan is a very very and very poor country; it lacks infrastructure and security. In 2011 one young man in Malakal revealed through SSTV while drinking alcohol and his head was dizzy and the tongue was not balanced that “I have no job … the government has not established “sharikat, where do I get a job huh.” He was putting on an angry face to show that he was serious.
This young man was speaking like how young men speak in Khartoum. They blame the government for having not established “sharikat” and this and that, and for having not provided them with jobs and with this and that.
As a result the youth in Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Sudan in particular, are swarming Europe in search for a better life. Now South Sudanese youth are joining the bandwagon of illegal migrants. But, it is true that everyone has a right to a better life, no matter where it may be, on our feet we go.
Why not, why should they not go if “their government has failed to provide them with jobs first and security second?
But the fact will remain that South Sudan is a land of opportunities, it is rich, it just needs the right mind set and the will and the government that motivates and security to prevail.
There are job opportunities
Before and after independence, large numbers of Ugandan young men and young women came into South Sudan to look for employment. They did so because they believed that South Sudan was a God given opportunity to get a job, make money, go home build a house and marry Mary, and many of them did it. How?
Some of the Ugandan young men and women who came here were motivated and far sight and opportunity seekers, and risk-takers and moneymakers, bravo. That is what life is all about, isn’t it?
Those young men/women who gamble to go to Europe will not be given shelter and food and medical treatment and education and alcohol and sex for free at all. Having reached Europe one must sweat like hell and may go on for days without sleep if one gets a job of cleaning or scrubbing toilets and so on. In Europe life may be sweet but with a high price.
The Ugandans here in South Sudan are saying that “you have all you need here, here at home, just look around and you can get the job you would like to do.”
A Ugandan has no qualms. He/she can instantly get down to do any job he/she is told to do; they cut nails, they sell newspapers on the move, they sell second hand clothes, they scrub the ground, they dig wells, build and do the finishing and hand you the house in a perfect form. They are mechanics, welders, and carpenters. Think of a job and a Ugandan is ready to do it and sometimes at a very low rate.
A Ugandan can easily establish a chapatti stall at any corner. Likewise, a Ugandan lady can easily erect a makeshift and there she is in her restaurant serving Ugandan delicacies or hair braiding or a “dobbi” washing clothes and so on and so on.
This writer thinks that this kind of a determination and the mindset is still lacking here. All South Sudanese, including this writer, are looking for white-collar jobs and then a V8.
Can a South Sudanese become like a Ugandan and venture into his/her own profession, and be a local job creator and a local moneymaker and an independent taxpayer? For the time being, this cannot happen. Why, because apart from fighting and politicking, South Sudanese are not used to do manual labor, and sweat and get tired for a small amount of money and save part of this small amount for the rainy days. But:
In the future, of course young and elderly South Sudanese like this writer may begin to see the rationale of starting one’s own business albeit in a modest way like farming for instance. Then some of us shall begin to learn technical skills like carpentry, welding, mechanics, plumbing, building and so on. For the time being no way.
Is there a genuine reason(s) for the young men/women from South Sudan to migrate? Maybe. Sometimes this writer is enticed to leave this country for a quieter life somewhere.
You can reach the author at his email address: josephabyei@hotmail.com
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Good obseravtion