A Critical Balancing Act for President Kiir Mayardit and His Vice President Riek Machar
By Ring Mayar, Canberra, Australia
March 31, 2016 (SSB) —- South Sudan’s peace signatories are under an unprecedented confluence of pressure. Creating the balance of peace implementation and forming Government of National Unity (GNU) are top of the agenda. These will be able to fulfil national security requirements such as food, jobs, education, and health care. In addition, diversifying the country’s economy at macro-micro level must be the first order policy priority. Now peace has come or yet to come to the people of South Sudan. The demand for food and shelter driven by people coming from UNIMISS camps and regional countries returning to urban major cities such as Juba, Malakal and Bentiu will increase substantially.
The coming months and years of the GNU will experience significant policy challenges, as well as opportunities, for permanent peace and development in the country. The arrival of the first batch of the opposition forces of SPLA-IO certainly will pave the way forward for Vice President Riek Machar’s arrival in the capital city-Juba. The implementation and the formation of GNU and the sustainability of durable peace will be influenced by how leaders responds to a number of core political differences, including the re-emergence of political dirty hurry syndrome, the re-formation of the SPLM Party, sharing of ministerial portfolios and people rights to participate on the nation’s governance agendas.
These factors will put additional pressure on the already stagnated economy and on the fragile institutions, which have become dysfunctional since the civil conflict in 2013. South Sudan missed an opportunity to consolidate peace and stability in the country before internal conflict spread like wildfire. Many countries in the world starred down South Sudan with envy and jealousy for its vast natural resources and human potential. Elsewhere in the Middle East and Western nations, South Sudan is already declared as a growth engine of the East Africa Bloc. World Values Survey trajectory predicted that South Sudan to be the home of the largest middle class population if peace and stability is to prevail in the country.
It clear that the associated opportunities and risks intricately link. Therefore to maintain a lasting peace solution the leaders need to commit themselves to reforms in the government, police, army, and allow civil servants and opposition political parties to operate freely without hinders from the security apparatus. Every South Sudan citizen should have the right to choose the leader of his or her choice during election. Also thorough and wider consultation should include broader population on major country’s policy frameworks. Despite the war devastation, the GNU must work and invest on education. The dedication to and investment in education, will produce a highly train and skilful workforce that will later on become the impetus for South Sudan’s economic turnaround.
Demographically, South Sudan will experience unprecedented population boom. South Sudan has joined East Africa Bloc, major cities are already overstretched with foreigners, as the war was raging on in the country. The situation will be chaotic and unpredictable if not handled professionally and mindfully. The demand for human necessities such as food, water, and shelter will be scarce and expensive. There will be community expectations changes in relation to provision of public services; this will lead to an increase in the demand for better education, roads, railways, sea-airport and health care. The leader of the upcoming government of nation unity must work on the fiscal policy responses, including meeting the country’s citizen demand for improvement projects and plan for an early future intervention.
I believe that appropriate policy frameworks that help facilitate food security, jobs, education, health; plus building vital infrastructures such as roads, hospitals, schools, highways and sport centres; as well as investing on innovation of science and technology and investment on vocational training for youth will allow the state to cultivate human capital. These will elevate South Sudan from poverty and hunger and subsequently will be important to drive productivity of the nation.
Published by Ring Mayar; Contact: naydiet@yahoo.com.au
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