Three socio-political monstrosities destroying South Sudan

There are three main socio-political monstrosities impeding progress in South Sudan. But they are not difficult to fix. They don't cost money. They only need a leadership that is not afraid to offend colleagues and relatives. A leadership that has principles on which it compromises only if doing so advances the interests of the citizens of South Sudan. 

The first monstrosity is our identitarianism marked by acute, self-righteous, ethnocentric sentimentalism. It is now clear, to all of us (however much some of us may pretend) in (and from) South Sudan that most of us will support politicians from our home areas or those with whom we have consanguineous relations regardless of the enormity of their immoral acts. We celebrate them even if they are murderous, unprincipled graft entrepreneurs. 

Corruptocrats, as I call them!

The second monstrosity is the desire to join the elite and climb the socioeconomic ladder in South Sudan. It is an invidious motivation that turns one away from care of citizens to naked bourgeois interests. Rigid, pure, materialist quest for money and power. In this context, corruption and cronyism have become instrumental tools in our fetishization of Kiir's monarchial, Medievalist decrees. This is what South Sudan has become. 

The third monstrosity is political relevance. This is at the heart of  the political anomie in South Sudan. Many politicians (and young wannabe-politicians) will go to extreme lengths to remain politically relevant. Young folks in South Sudan join political parties not for ideological reasons or on principle, but for relevance, simpliciter. In the process, South Sudanese civilians either become pawns in this quest for political relevance, or they become virtually irrelevant, nonexistent.

As long as these three monstrosities are not addressed, South Sudanese will continue to suffer under the self-serving interest of the political class that has turned South Sudan into an extractive colony. 

Tumaini Initiation

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Kuir ë Garang (PhD) is the editor of The Philosophical Refugee. 

A needless extension of the transitional period by South Sudan's peace partners

 

Analysis: The extension of the transitional period and the postponement of elections in South Sudan

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September 16, 2024 - South Sudan's peace partners have now agreed to extend the transitional period for another 24 months. They have also postponed the elections that where scheduled for December 22 this year to December 22, 2026. 

No surprises there. These are elitist political transactions. Extensions keep them in power. But they make general declarations that these extension are for the benefit of South Sudan.

Since the South Sudanese warring parties, now peace partners, signed the Agreement for the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (ARCISS) in 2015 and revitalized it in 2018, all we have witnessed is extension after extension and postponement after postponement. 

Meanwhile, the people of South Sudan continue to suffer as the political class benefit from rentier capitalism. 

This has now become the modus operandi in South Sudan. They asked for extensions to complete the implementation of all the provisions of the agreement only to spent the extension period wasting time only to ask for more extension again. 

In 2022, they asked for 24 months to complete all the provisions of the R-ARCISS and prepare for elections in December 2024. This has now come to pass. 

Now, the peace partners have arrogated to themselves another 24 months, which is another 24 months in power without accountability mechanisms, to complete the remaining provisions. 

We can only hope. 

But going by the history of the implementation and the sour relationship between President Kiir and Dr, Riek Machar, I wouldn't hold my breath. South Sudan is being held hostage. Some South Sudanese scholars are now calling this state capture. 

These extensions are all about power, rent economy and political relevance. 

By the Editor