South Sudan: A Nation Besieged by Lawlessness and Disillusionment
By Majak Kuany Alier, Juba, South Sudan
November 8, 2016 (SSB) —- The news of coldblooded killings of innocent people this last weekend in Juba indicates a genuine breakdown of rule of law in South Sudan. The week-dead-end (Saturday & Sunday) in Juba, at Gurei and New-site (Mangateen) is worrisome to the young nation embattled by instability. The manner in which they attack occurred is new to the culture of South Sudan’s violence episodes.
Now, if such unfolding circumstance can happen within the city we deeply believed to have security segments that carry 60 percent of our national annual budget? How justifiably could such expenditure be explained? Even with such a huge budget to security forces, citizens are still vanishing in the hands of the so-called unknown gunmen in the watch of government big spending agencies. Has rule of law become a nightmare to the leadership? Or is 60 percent budget only meant for protection of Presidency, and legislators. The kind of entourage given to the executive is tempting to believe the latter.
The Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) must be condemned for failing to investigate and arrest culprits of the weekend consecutive violence. Isn’t it abundantly clear that the government has completely failed to safeguard the life of the citizens despite its huge bench of security apologists that are sucking national economy?
It is very clear that when a nation fails to establish justice, security, and the rule of law peace and stability are the first to suffer among others. A breakdown in the rule of law may slow the road to restoration after a conflict, cause or exacerbate violence and tensions, and fuel criminality and insecurity. According to UNDP overview, it’s only when societies are able to implement and abide by the rule of law, can they also achieve other critical milestones, such as inclusive and effective governance and the respect for human rights. Reinforcing rule of law is an aspect the government of South Sudan gave less attention.
South Sudan is one of the countries that has fail to live up to it independent expectation just because of its leaders have tendencies to appeal to tribal sentiment to govern or acquire political power. More so, culture of corruption has only breed poor governance. The leaders strive to build a state in a way that makes it difficult to distinguish the difference between the government and state institutions. According to the region and global ranking, South Sudan is ranked the worst country with less effective and security institutions similarly compared to Somalia.
Instead of the country to build mechanism that can curb crimes, it adapted the culture of silencing voices advocating for change, and ceasing vicious cycle of killing of innocent citizens by the security machinists under the tag name (hideout) “unknown gunmen”. The question is, why does government continued to finance security sector that is incapable of protecting the lives of citizens? We have seen and wittiness the maiming of innocent citizens within and outskirts of capital, Juba let alone the sporadic targeted killings of citizens along country’s main highways. Still Juba claims to have effective security apparatus that are earning government salaries each month.
The recent killing of football fans in Gurei and bombing of against public gathering in Managateen suburb near Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) headquarters demonstrate that the life’s of citizens is at God hands under pronounced legitimate government administered by President Salva Kiir. The act is inhuman and confirms that the collapse of rule of law in Juba – making the predators of such terror killings go unpunished.
In reality, if we were having effective government can such maiming happens subsequently in the capital that is infested by all organized forces under watch of commander in chief. But it’s now happening due to poor governance and lack of rule of law in the country. It sound so ridiculous that both government and rebels are trading blames to the incidences but that does not levitated the nation from a fail state. The beneficiaries of Juba administration should not use rebellion as the scapegoat of not protecting citizens at their watch.
Inclusion, the government should get into the bottom of this terror killing of innocent citizens by beefing up tight security in and around Juba for the safety of our civil population. Furthermore, the leadership needs to review the security sector and make it security that is capable of protecting lives of the citizens. There is need to empower judiciary system in the country that will be able to deal with criminal acts in the nation.
“We are called to be architects of the future, not its victims.” R. Buckmister Fuller.
Majak Kuany Alier is a professional Journalist and alumna of Juba University, college of Arts and Humanities, department of Mass Communication. He’s also a Sub-editor of The Nation Mirror that was forcefully shutdown by government earlier September, 2016. For comment you can reach him via kuanyalier@gmail.com
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