In 2018, the United Nations contracted me to edit South Sudan’s National Dialogue Reports. The National Dialogue Team visited 32 states and asked participants to talk freely about the country’s problems.
Many had a lot to do with conflict—and its causes. Participants were also told to propose solutions. They cited the following as some of the many problems:
- There are no laws in this country. If they exist, they are not enforced in the spirit of the law. For example, if someone kills, they are left free
- There is greed
- There are revenge killings
- South Sudanese do not want to forgive each other
- When removed from office, politicians mobilise youth to fight
- No respect for women
- No equitable distribution of resources
- Lack of rule of law
- Creation of more states, from 10 to 32, has complicated the resolution of conflict in the Republic of South Sudan
The leadership problem did not feature prominently, even though President Salva Kiir had called for national dialogue after he and his main rival Riek Machar went to war in December 2013 and 2016.
It has been almost eight years, and South Sudan’s problems—many blamed on how the country is governed—are not going anywhere.
South Sudan and Uganda are not just neighbours; they are allies. Many Ugandans run businesses in Juba, the capital. Many South Sudanese live in Kampala. Some have bought homes and prefer Kampala to Juba because of the peace and stability. Many more are refugees.
In 2011, the country broke away from Sudan after a referendum and became independent. It has known only one president, the ailing and ageing Mr Kiir, who is in his 70s.
Questions abound as to whether he can still lead South Sudan effectively, given his poor health and the country’s numerous and daunting problems.
The Berlin-based Transparency International, which documents corruption across nearly 200 countries, ranks it among the world’s most corrupt nations. And the World Bank says it is one of the poorest, sitting in the same club as Burundi and Haiti.
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This week, a video of Mr Kiir struggling to walk unaided in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, brought his ability to lead South Sudan into sharp focus. Readers who keep track of current affairs will remember that a couple of years ago, his bladder gave way as cameras were rolling.
There is plenty to suggest that he and the people working for him are struggling to cope with the challenges of building a nation whose history is steeped in conflict.
About two weeks ago, the world was treated to bizarre news that Mr Kiir sacked two senior aides following an embarrassing situation in which he appointed a dead man to serve on a panel to lead discussions on elections scheduled for December.
The dead man was Steward Soroba Budia, and Mr Kiir announced his appointment in a presidential order dated 30 January. Local media pointed out that he had died five years ago. According to the BBC, South Sudanese mocked the appointment on social media.
A pertinent question is how a president can appoint a dead man without being alerted by those close to him. It appears those around him may be capitalising on his frailty for material gain.
And that may be only the beginning of the insurmountable challenges South Sudan faces.
🔴 Musaazi Namiti is the Founder and Editorial Director of OJ-UGANDA. He previously led the Africa Desk at Al Jazeera in Doha, Qatar, worked for Globe Media Asia in Cambodia and writes a widely read column for Uganda’s Sunday Monitor. His work has been quoted by The New York Times, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, Jeune Afrique, The Africa Report—not for playing it safe, but for saying what others will not.