The Costs of militarization of politics in South Sudan
By Akot Makuei Angok, Juba, South Sudan
March 31, 2016 (SSB) — Militarization of politics and society and the proliferation of authoritarian repressive regime by the warlord officers integrated in to political system both at national Government and state level, are the most pressing problems confronting South Sudan since before and after reception of independence.
For the past few years, the process of militarisation of politics where soldiers occupied civil political position has widely been increasing in our country and every military officer and politicians have decided to keep there previous bush forces separate for their personal allegiance in the army, the military task has been abused and deviated to protect some military politicians instead to defend and protect the existence or integrity of the State against any perceived external or internal threat or attack.
The military institution would have created patriotic strategy of impartiality in Country political affairs and owes its loyalty only to the State and not just to any of its branches, the military should not engage itself in the policy making processes in the government, except perhaps for matters directly concerning it. Thus, the military establishment is construed to be strictly non-political and non-partisan, an obedient enforcer of laws and policies arrived at by other state organs.
The militarisation of politics has reduced people’s participation in the decision making process to a farce and the freedom of opinion is curtailed, it also suppress their people’s collective initiatives as civilians politicians and any Government staff with no past bush military background is seem to be less valuable to participates in the essential affairs of the County.
Below is at least what the experience of militarized politics would seem to teach us.
Human cost, thousands and thousand of South Sudanese citizens have died or has been displaced internally and externally because of application of military method on current baseless war of power struggle that has cost unnecessary loss of human life and destruction of properties, commitment of atrocities, looting and randomly murdering of innocent citizens by either rebels in some many areas like Bor, Benitu, Malakal and Akobo and many others places. All those heinous crimes actions were simply instigated by the notorious Generals who always gave their loyalties and support only to tribe mate politicians.
Economic Cost that has been and is being paid is very alarming. The wars in some many towns and areas in South Sudan since began of war have entailed the diversion to their purposes of resources that are very much needed elsewhere in the economy. Even more disturbing, in areas that have been directly and indirectly affected as battlefields, the economy has been crumpling rapidly toward negative development since agriculture and other economic activities heavily decline as a results of shorting downing of oil fields in Unity State, while infrastructure such as roads, bridges, schools and hospitals and even private dwelling houses are put out of operation or destroyed altogether.
The erosion of sense of accountability and economic mismanagement. -Good governance, whether in the public or private sector, is always a challenge. While we want and expect people to act with honesty and integrity, in too many cases, self-interest, greed, and a lack of respect for the rights of others overcomes the basic obligation to act ethically. How can we ensure that an individual acts in accordance with our basic standards of ethics and probity? The answer is accountability. Accountability is one of the fundamental tenets of effective governance in both the private and public sector.
I like to define accountability as a force beyond one’s control, which causes one to act in a certain way. We conduct our daily lives according to an invisible matrix of accountabilities that are so familiar to us we are virtually unaware of them’ we work hard at our jobs to provide for our families, and so on. We behave in certain ways because we fear the consequences – forces beyond our control. And when there aren’t consequences to our actions, we tend to behave differently.
In government, accountability has become the driving force behind many reforms. The introduction and implementation of the Federal Accountability Act is but one tangible example of this trend. Changes such as reforming the financing of political parties, tightening rules governing lobbying, and strengthening the laws on conflicts of interest are all meant to improve governance and enhance South Sudanese’ confidence in their elected and public officials.
At times, accountability can be the key to better government. Sadly, in our country, the exploitation of natural resources and government corruption are inextricably linked, and the absence of accountability allows corruption to flourish. In response to this problem, Our president would have declared a fight against corruption by ending employing inexperience military officer in civil political position and resorting to give chance to experience civilian politicians, in working to improve accountability of government by strengthening the role of parliaments in overseeing government financial activities and stop the interferences of military generals in finance institution.
All above economic crisis experience has currently contributed in looming starvation in the Country where prices of food commodities have increased into unexpected level and to make matter worse it’s very difficult to find the food commodities in the market for sales.
Political cost has been equally high. First, since the armies that have featured in the country ‘s politics have been largely “ sectarian in their social composition, their entry into politics has never served the cause of national unity.
Secondly, members of the various armies, distended with a feeling of self-importance, have tended to behave as if the were above the law. In this way, such normative standards, which a new state must steadily build if it is to develop correctly politically, such as respect for law, respect for human rights etc, have had a most difficult soil on which to germinate and grow in South Sudan.
Third political cost the county has had to pay in closely related is institution building has been very much retarded. People with efficient capacity has been denied an opportunity to explored their competent experience in leadership and soldiers have been acting as if they are above the law. The police, the courts and civil service have bee weakened considerably, as military men tend to easily put themselves beyond their reach.
In conclusion, if we want to live a peaceful life and develop this nation, we need to spend every coin rightfully as budgeted, we need to politicalized politics in its place of militarizing politics, we need to separate military from politics, we should cease from coopted incompetent army officers in politics like what happen in Gogrial State and Tongi where the value of education is completely exterminated through initiative of appointed inexperience and unqualified persons to be governors and well educated elites are neglected opportunity to leads.
Secondly political opponents of the government of the day and all top influential Government officials are to be tamed economically so that they cannot harm this nation through useless wars, accountability must start from today not tomorrow and it has to be executed in a merciless format regardless of the title of the culprit.
The above is the view of the writer on our current and previous political system. I’m currently in South Sudanese living in juba …you can reach him by akot.awet1@gmail.com and 0954012679
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