South Sudan president joins debating name change
August 12, 2012 (JUBA) – Amid economic challenges since becoming an independent state last year, officials from South Sudan’s governing Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) have come under sharp public criticism opposing name change, prompting the president to react.
This comes following media reports quoting Deputy UN Secretary General Asha-Rose Mtengeti Migiro, as acknowledging submission and receipt of an application seeking the name change to the United Nations, generating mixed reactions from members of the public wanting to keep the name
“It’s actually not that big of a deal. We charge them $27,910 for the application and then all we have to do is change that little name plate you see on the table in front of the diplomat. That’s it. Sure, me and Ban Ki-Moon will probably call on them with the wrong name for the first few days, but that’s it”, multiple media outlets quotes Migiro as saying.
But the move to change the name is generating mixed reactions from members of the general public including high level government officials who see no logical grounds for changing the name many describes as historical.
Alfred Lado Gore, the country’s minister of environment says changing name of the new nation was not the priority since there are number challenges which the government needs to quickly pay attention.
“This is not the priority. We are living in a consuming country facing competing priorities. We produce nothing. Our health system is below international standard. We have the highest mortality rate. The illiteracy rate is quite alarming and frustrating. This should be our priorities not the petty issues of name change, Alfred Lado Gore, a minister of environment said Sunday in an interview with Sudan Tribune.
“There is nothing wrong with this name; he said referring to South Sudan. It has biblical meaning which identifies with our cultural heritage”, he adds.
Gore, who became one of the the first few government official to argue against changing the name of the country from being Republic of South Sudan to names being suggested, said he has heard people suggesting names among which were Nile Republic, Cush, Imatong Republic.
He argues that “South Sudan means a lot to our people to be abandoned”.
“Changing the name like I have said earlier is not a priority now. We should prioritise our needs and plan carefully to implement urgent issues instead of jumping from the change of capital to changing of country name”, he adds.
He continued explaining that urgent attention was needed to address issues connected to “food shortage, lack of medical supplies and skilled workers, clean drinking water, pay attention to insecurity, more schools to reduce illiteracy rate, provide the army with modern defense equipment to avoid our airspace being violated by our archenemy in the north, help our president combat corruption and structure governing system. These are important issues now which need an urgent care”.
The deputy Secretary General of the United Nations earlier explains that a desire of a nation to change its name comes with other changes as well. She cited plans by the government to move its capital from Juba to Ramciel and educational plans of wanting to introduce Swahili into the schools.
Migrio’s gave examples of countries that have changed their names in the past including 13 Colonies of America. “
“The United States of America changed their names and they entered a state of being united. Persia changed its name to Iran; Burma changes to Myanmar changes to Burma”, she explained. The country’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit also appears uncomfortable with the suggestion seeking name change and views as it “hasty decision”.
Some of his aides last week quoted him opposing the decision while interacting with the secretary general of the East African Community, Richard Sezibera. “We were so focused on following the principles of national self-determination, negotiating a peaceful separation, working for economic stability and protecting human rights that we forgot to come up with a good name. We also think changing name was not priority”, a presidential aide quoted him as saying.
(ST)