UN presence in south Sudan and Africa
March 17, 2010
By Mayar Mayar Kout
The long existence of the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies on the African continent and particularly southern Sudan has been due to internal conflict.
Civil wars and natural catastrophes have resulted in severe situations in African countries.
This has created a situation where in reality African people depend heavily on food aid and relief efforts while opportunist job seekers from all over the world use our continent as a place for employment.
This is a reality that Africans leaders and ordinary citizens have to acknowledge.
There are those who think that dependency on the United Nations and others is the best solution to the continents problems.
But what they don’t know is that all groups working in the UN are deployed in Africa with their own agenda. For instance, most founders of organizations tend to cover up their goals and objectives under the umbrella of providing humanitarian aid.
What I am arguing here is not to blame everything that goes wrong on the UN.
I always preserve a fair balance when I am making any argument with my opponent.
There are weakness in our leaders in African that allow so-called “advanced nations” to take advantage of us for the following reasons:
1) Lacking of strong leader: What does a strong leader do for his/her nation? A leader is someone who has ability to lead and inspire people. A person with a vision of loving his country’s nation identity for example: Egypts former President Gamal Abdul Nasir, Nelson Mandela of South Africa and Mahatma Gandhi of India.
2) No National governments: Africa’s national governments and their leaders are not concerned about nationalism or patriotism. In a lot countries our leaders lean towards their tribes or clans instead of being a leader for their nation’s development and prosperity. Our leaders steal the nation’s public money and leave the whole nation, a hostage in the hands of the UN and its humanitarian agencies.
3) No strong civil societies: the issue of having a ‘civil society’ or community building is important for national stability and social relations. But once again our leaders are the causes of tribal conflict because they believe in dividing communities on basis of ethnicity as a platform for ruling.
My closing argument is that the presence of the UN and other humanitarian agencies in Africa and particularly south Sudan is not helping people but formulating their lives into poverty making sure that the wars continue between us.
The writer is a Computer Analyst in Juba, southern Sudan. You can contact him on either: [email protected] or [email protected]
sam Taban
UN presence in south Sudan and Africa
This article reflects the reality on the ground. The author deserves credit for his analysis of the situation in Africa and in particular South Sudan. All of us incline to the view that South Sudan is held hostage as it lacks leadership potentials and qualities with a strong vision and capability to formulate policies designed to sustain economic growth so that there are employments opportunities for all
The UN and its hamanitarian agencies are doing more harm than good to the entire nation. Sudan has the largest humanitarian and relief operation in the World.
Visit http://www.unjobs.com and check to see what a shame on foriegn workers working for them with excellent pay packages.
No person in South Sudan whether literate or illiterate seems not to understand the huge presence of UN and NGO’s in South Sudan. It is true conflicts create opportunities for others.
The problem is South Sudan does not have a regulated mechanism to deal with the activities of UN and NGO’S operation.
These organisations have the discration to employ foriegnes including Kenyans, Ugandans who make a lot of money and return to their countries of origin. They don’t invest in the indeginous South Sudnese who coulde be an asset to their own counrty if they have the skills and experiece gained through training, education etc.
Something has to change. A new strategy and approach is needed so that we become self-sufficient and self-reliant instead of being fed by the UN and NGO’s.
The Ministry of Agriculture should devise policies and strategies designed to increase agricultural production across South Sudan.
We konow the motives of UN humanitarian agengies. Explotation is the motive. If we don’t resolve the problem, the worse it gets.