The History of Corruption and Inter-tribal Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan
6 min readBy John Deng, Perth, Australia
December 6, 2015 (SSB) —- According to Oxford dictionary, corruption is defined as dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery or the action or effect of making someone or something morally depraved. Hence what is the history of corruption in South Sudan? Contrary to the well-known description; “the honesty of Sudanese” as found in some high school text books, South Sudan is now known as one of the corrupt countries in Africa.
Well, corruption slowly found it place within South Sudanese community during the years of arm struggle. From the beginning, the most daunting challenge was war recruitment. While all South Sudanese were sick and tired of the oppressive rule in Khartoum, they were not well versed with sacrifices of guerrilla warfare. The few informed including the leader of SPLM/A, Dr. John Garang de Mabior devised a dishonest way to lure the uneducated youths from the cattle camps to join the movement and fight Khartoum regime.
The elites used the inter-tribal conflict as the base of recruitment tactics. Youth were asked to get arms for their personal protection from neighbouring Ethiopia. But to the movement credits, the trained cadres absorbed the principles of the new movement and emerged as one united forced to fight Khartoum as common enemy. However, the used tactics remain undone in the mind of civilians and untrained youths who continue to see their neighbours as enemy contrary to SPLM/A force’s believe.
This concept became uncontrollable when Khartoum and some South Sudanese opportunists used the tricks against the Southern Communities to undermine the SPLM effort. With country awash with arms, the inter-tribal conflicts increases. While SPLM/A focus on winning the war on Khartoum, the situation continues to deteriorate in the South. The movement was not well equipped to handle tribal conflict in a civil manner.
Most often, the response was military, hence more disenfranchisement. Although the goals and intentions were good, the country inevitably descended into tribal enclaves dishonestly mobilised against each other by the enemy and opportunists.
Upon realising this, SPLM/A responded with another strategy; child-recruitment, named Red Army, all South communities were ask to send young ones for schooling. Whether this was SPLM/A future military recruitment or a tactic to starve off the warring communities of the power base, it’s anyone’s guess. The young military nurseries as known then propped up in many displaced person’s camps in Ethiopia and South Sudan.
Doctrinated with uncivilised military principles, the youngsters absorbed SPLM/A maxims. It was the hierarchical culture as practised within SPLM/A mainstream. The mainstay was to obey orders. A top down style-ecological order, leaders enjoy the honour and unquestionable control over their subjects. Authority was and still is perceived as powerful thing with limitless control over its subjects, it can seize properties at will, demand service with orders, order punishment with unquestionable authority and demand utmost obedient from all members. This culture was cultivated and nurtured throughout years of war in the country.
Same scenarios were going on in the front line. Although the Guerrilla warfare were free and voluntary, force recruitments were sometimes used. Contrary to SPLM/A manifesto, there were cases where civilians were harassed and forced to part with their properties. Some of these cases fortunately found justices and the culprits were punished. However, the overwhelming injustices were hierarchical orders within the rank, where senior commanding officers seized and confiscated private’s captured items at will.
These actions were happening outside SPLM/A codes of practice but because the system was self-defeating, there were no alternative avenues of rising complain other than through your direct commanding officer, hence issues went unaddressed till it became acceptable norm. Thus like other unethical practices, high ranking seizure of properties including properties of civil population became a new wartime sub culture.
In addition to these new corrupt cultures rising from war, displacement also plaid a role in acquisition of frauds. During 21 years of war, many South Sudanese left their localities to neighbouring countries for safety and better life. Not having been previously exposed to urban vices, South Sudanese were firstly shock by unethical urban live but before long many succumbed to it to sustain lives.
The generosity and free-giving quickly turned to blackmailing and taking from others. The hard life of unskilled refugee sped up the process of change. This is how corruption was conceived, born and nurtured within South Sudan.
Having grown teeth and found it feet, corruption became the mainstay in South Sudanese society. People accepted and became the proud owners and started to implement it. First instance was during resettlement processes. Although many South Sudanese life history qualifies them to resettle in any country in the world, the corrupt will encouraged deceit to slightly alter the already good life history to fit the bill. Many cases’ life histories slightly differ from the truth.
As if that was not enough, the now ingrained corruption continued on in the new home countries even though there was no threat of harm or starvation. Many of us continued their dishonest and fraudulent ways to cheat honest systems in their new home countries. Same applies to relationships, social organisations and between communities both at home and in diaspora.
Now that we learnt bit of the root causes of our corruption, we are better placed to fight it. So how do we fight a now 32 years old adult with family and kids? May be the best way is to start with ourselves. Probably we have been looking at it all wrong; pointing fingers. But now that we know it is a result of the organisation we are all proud of it achievements; SPLM/A, it is time we embrace and take responsibility of its failures too and corruption is one of those failures.
As each and every one of us is exposed to this sub culture, it is time we start with ‘I’ then to your closest relatives, friends, highly regarded hero and to the general public and questions your corrupt practices as well as their wrong deeds with honesty. That only shall we get rid of corruptions and tribal conflicts in this country? However, it is not easy war; one has to be ready to lose friendship, honorary, company and even life.
As recent events prove, nobody is immune from corruption despite your background. Many of us have lost the moral values until proven otherwise.
So next time we talk about corruption, first define it and honestly think about what it is that we are individually doing wrong and were did we learn that dishonesty. Because it is not, until we first got rid of our own corruption, shall we be able to address the one going on in South Sudan.
The writer is a concern South Sudanese residing in Australia. He can be reached on john.dengat@gmail.com
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