South Sudan: Encouraging first national government

By Jacob K. Lupai

August 31, 2011 — South Sudan declared its independence on the 9th July 2011, becoming the newest independent nation on mother earth, the 193rd member of the United Nations and the 54th of the African Union. South Sudan did it again when on the 26th August 2011 it announced to the world the first formation of national government of independent Republic of South Sudan. Precisely it took 48 days for the formation of the first national government. By all standards it was a long wait but worth it.

People were already murmuring of the delay in the formation of the first national government of the Republic of South Sudan. The President of the Republic, Salva Kiir Mayardit, had cautioned people not to look at the formation of the government through tribal lenses but assured them of inclusive government. True to his words Salva Kiir Mayardit did his level best in forming a non tribal government but inclusive in terms of regional representation. However, people are individuals of different perceptions. There is bound to be different interpretations of the formation of the government. What is important, though, is for people to have a clear picture of what our hard won freedom and country should be.

The first cabinet for the Republic of South Sudan consists of national and deputy ministers. The national ministers are 29 and the deputies are 27, making a total of 56 in the cabinet. In all fairness the cabinet is non tribal. It includes a sample of both larger and smaller tribes. It would have been pathetic indeed to expect all the tribes in South Sudan to be represented in the cabinet. If we work on the concept of a sample as representative then we may appreciate that the sample is the representative of the whole. So the sample of tribes in the cabinet represents the whole South Sudan. The implication is that members of those tribes represented in the cabinet will collectively endeavour to work for the common good. Indeed it is expected the cabinet will discharge its duties in conformity with the constitution and the government programme for the country.

In regional representation the President of the Republic of South Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit got it absolutely right and this was very encouraging. Equatoria that seemed to have been targeted for marginalization got more than a fair share of the national ministries, a little over a third. For the first time the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and that of the Ministry of Interior went to Equatoria. The new Ministry of Environment also went to Equatoria. In addition the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries, and the Ministry of Transport went to Equatoria. Also the Minister in the Office of the President is from Equatoria. This is not only a fair share but a great challenge to Equatoria.

We in Equatoria have been crying of poor representation. We have cried of corruption and land grabbing where the authorities have seemed to turn a blind eye. We have cried of insecurity where senseless murders of innocent civilians and armed robberies in Juba have been sky high. We have cried of food insecurity where the poor could not afford the exorbitant prices of food items from either Uganda or Kenya. We have cried of the destruction of our environment where it will cause a climate change which will be dangerous to our efforts in agricultural development. Obviously the President knew what he was doing and this is an assignment that Equatoria should not be seen to fail the people of the Republic of South Sudan. The trust the President has bestowed on Equatoria should not be in vain. It is a challenge to Equatoria that it has a hard-working culture and a culture of affirmative action.

It was difficult to know what formula the President used in the distribution of the national ministries by region. Using population distribution by region for the distribution of the national ministries would have also made the President fair-minded. On average each region has about a third of the population of the Republic of South Sudan according to the 5th Sudan Population and Housing Census, 2008. It is also fair that the regional distribution of population should also be reflected in the distribution of national ministries by region. In the distribution of the appointed deputy ministers worked out on regional basis, Bahr el Ghazal got the lion’s share of 44.4 per cent and Upper Nile 33.3 while Equatoria trailed with 22.2 per cent. It couldn’t have been that citizens in Bahr el Ghazal were more capable than their fellow citizens in the other regions of Upper Nile and Equatoria

It was not likely that the distribution of the cabinet posts was done on ethnic lines otherwise there would have been regional imbalance and uproar. However, the Dinka and Nuer ethnic groups got about 43 and 13 per cent respectively of the cabinet posts. Arguably this is not an act of tribalism. It is important to note that the Dinka ethnic group comes from seven of the ten states while the Nuer come from three. Out of the members of Dinka ethnic group who are in the cabinet, about 46 per cent are from Warrap, 21 from Jonglei, 17 from Lakes, 8 from Northern Bahr el Ghazal and 4 per cent each from Upper Nile and Unity State but it seems non from Western Bahr el Ghazal.

The distribution of the Dinka ethnic group in the cabinet by state seems to confirm the fact that the population of Warrap is predominantly of Dinka ethnic group and so do Lakes, Northern Bahr el Ghazal and in addition Upper Nile, Jonglei and Unity State are homes to the Dinka ethnic group. The dominant Dinka ethnic group in the cabinet should not therefore be seen as an act of tribalism. In addition regional balance has not been affected.

One observation is that old faces of the pre-independence era have been installed in government. It may be interesting to know how these old faces will make a difference. This is not to suggest that there are no individuals of the old faces who are dedicated. Probably this was an act of sticking with what one knows already rather than experimenting with the unknown. However, without experimenting it may be difficult to know what is better from routine. It may be a golden opportunity for the old faces to demonstrate that the President did not make a wrong choice. They have to perform.

With or without old faces the most urgent need is to guarantee people’s security. The uncontrolled night robberies and the endless cycle of killing of innocent civilians should come to an end. Agriculture should be revamp for the achievement of household food security. Accountability and transparency must be seen to happen. The civil service seems to be in tatters where indiscipline is rampant. Junior officials argue with their seniors where orders are not obeyed in carrying out assignments. Human courtesy is hard to come by. Rudeness seems to have replaced respect. This should end through a code of conduct adopted by government offices.

In independent Republic of South Sudan we need to restore respect for work and idleness should be dealt with ruthlessly. Productivity should be the yardstick to measure individual performance. The new cabinet may need to settle down in earnest to address what might have gone wrong in the past The challenge is to make the Republic of South Sudan a paradise on earth for which people have aspired. This means corruption, land grabbing, rampant insecurity, and irregular salaries to mention but a few need to be addressed in post independence era for people to truly enjoy the fruit of their labour since the struggle for independence began in Torit in 1955.

In conclusion, the first formation of the national government of the Republic of South Sudan has been very encouraging and indeed a morale booster. People were worried and wondered whether the President was in serious crisis when it was taking unnecessarily long to form the government. However, as a seasoned liberator and an experienced individual from the first civil war era, the President proved once more that he was a confident navigator and in charge. The President scored very high for his wisdom in the regional balance of the cabinet. It is now the turn of the people to give the President a hundred per cent loyalty and support for the next four years. We all need to be behind the President so that he does not have an excuse when his government does not perform to the expected standard. We need to support the President and his cabinet until we pass a verdict on the performance of his government at the end of the transitional period.

In ending this piece I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the President and the entire cabinet.

The author can be reached at [email protected]