South Sudan economic downfall is multifactorial: Hon. Deng Athorbei and Hon. Kornelio Koryom shouldn't be scapegoats!
6 min readBy Sunday de John–Nairobi, Kenya
June 22, 2016 (SSB) — South Sudan economics’ downright downfall is multifactorial. The downfall isn’t one or two years old. Rather, it started even before independence and progressively to few months following independence. Had it been a baby, it’s death would have been categorised as infantile death.
The factors involved are multiple and each has incommensurable pestilence. The downright downfall started with acceptance of incomprehensive remittances from Khartoum during the periods of the government of Southern Sudan when Gen. Salva Kiir was preoccupied with the duties of the First vice Presidency and when Dr. Riek was too occupied by the plans of his future leadership.
The then Minister of finance and economic planning was involved with misappropriation of funds including tripling the prices of government vehicles without putting an eye to how much portion of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement provided 50% was being remitted to South Sudanese coffers.
Credible sources later revealed that the percentile remittances were pairing below pars at estimated values fluctuating between 16% and 20%. That was the first loot.
However, the rich man’s syndrome blurred South Sudanese leaders’ vision. The ecstasy induced by new wealth was immense that it wasn’t allowing the leaders to see beyond their walls.
As if that wasn’t degrading, it was/is true that many leaders decided to bury money like corpses and some partied with local and international prostitutes as if the world of sex was ending. The three greatest forms of failure were practiced adequately. Indulgence in unnecessary sex, unreserved excessive alcohol consumption and of course engraved theft were all practiced in a rather exaggerated manner.
The three contributed to a significant portion of misappropriation of wealth and without feasibility study, the oil production was stopped suddenly with stalwarts dancing to the tune of less sober former Secretary General of the now faltering Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).
Maddened with sadness perpetuated by ego, the superintendents thought that stoppage of oil production was a perfect decision. They claimed beneath their lungs that a right decision was made and enough money was then pumped out of the coffers for campaign in promotion of that decision.
They have not sat back to analyse that flow of money was terminated and reserved funds were being spent unwisely, instead they devised unworkable postulates, assuming that South Sudan’s oil would be pumped to the market through an imaginary pipeline via port-Lamu and a huge fraction via Djibouti. That was so catchy but very unrealistic and of course unattainable.
As I precisely pinpointed, the idea was prompted by egoism. The leaders thought they were punishing the resilient Khartoum’s Al Bashir, something they didn’t know was the fact that they were penalising themselves.
They then through the clutching at the straw of a drowning man decided to stage the austerity measures. The measures couldn’t work satisfactorily simply because leaders were busy stashing the little reserved cash abroad.
The vigilante of a foreign country squarely told the president that the money was stolen, not even the economic section of the security apparatus was aware. The president then decided to issue stern letters to presumably 75 thieves but a reliable source later revealed that the true thieves were only 17 but a blanket statement was already made public with libeling of 58 innocent South Sudanese.
The so-called 75 stern letters weren’t responded to except a single respond from innocent Dr. Lual Achuek Deng who proved his innocence by making a public statement. The rest is a story. But do not forget the dura saga as another cause of financial loss that has contributed to economic downturn.
Consequently, the infuriated President decided to dissolve the government to give justice a chance. The dissolution preceded by sacking of two ministers who despite austerity measures desired to buy expensive saves.
The then sacked larcenists regrouped and staged a number of political upheavals. The upheavals were all meant to either unsettle Kiir or overthrow him once and for all so that they can remain not behind bars but with continuity of enjoyment of their loots.
That was the genesis of hostile state, it remains the prime crux of the disputed coup de tat. The country then entered into what I call “hard-to-correct-mess” of today. Political dissatisfaction from many factions created the status quo.
The kleptocrats failed to agree on their loots and their misgivings created the hate spirit. The mess created by the government versus the sacked groups, now known as IO, and FDs graduated to the current disintegration of the country on ethnic lines.
Then the buried tribal sentiments were unearthed and the tribes with scornful eyes and vengeance engaged in grave war and the economy died further. In augmentation to that point, it must however, be noted carefully that lives lost are part of the South Sudanese economy and the destroyed properties too.
Despite war having been eventually brought to an intermittent halt by the enforced peace deal, many things are at stake. South Sudanese themselves are at stake. Tentatively, the downright downfall of South Sudan economic isn’t a making of Hon. David Deng Athorbei, it isn’t Hon. Kornelio Koriom Mayiik’s making.
In essence, kleptocrats are responsible. Even delayed salaries could be attributable to the work of the kleptocrats. They have all the money in their personal accounts and the government has nothing. What would the duo do to reverse this? Their firing doesn’t as well open the fatty accounts of the kleptocrats. Victimised for no reason, right?
I can insinuate that the frugality with which Hon. David Deng Athorbei has been handling the South Sudanese finances should be commended. However, recent propaganda on Troika’s allegations should too be dismissed as lies. Troika’s or whatever international aid shouldn’t come in the expense of the sovereignty breach.
It isn’t in Troika’s interest to breach South Sudan’s sovereignty either and therefore, the SPLM/IO youth leader should recant his recent welcoming of a concocted Troika’s statement on the firing of Hon. David Deng Athorbei and Kornelio Koriom Mayiik.
Like most countries, it should be soundly accepted that foreign forces should not decide for South Sudanese. The laws of South Sudan, although wanting in some aspects must be respected and it is on this basis that the revocation of 28 states claim remains unworkable.
The states have become irrevocably permanent and it should be noted carefully that the idea on their recision is another prime latent cause of the conflict. Even worse one.
In brief, foreign demands on recision of 28 states on the basis of aid are damnable. They are accursed that they can only contribute in compounding the already compounded situation.
As well, sacking of ministers and other dignitaries has been enshrined in the constitution applaudably as a prerogative of the President. Not foreign aid providers or anybody else. I hope this serves the day.
Yours truly, Mr. Teetotaler!
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