First daughter of the Republic of South Sudan
Dear Sister Adut Salva Kiir Mayardit,
Affable greetings to you and peace,
I am writing to you with respect and humility to underscore that there are moments in a country’s life when history itself pauses for reflection. The reflection I am hinging on in this case is: can South Sudanese still be saved from within? This time needs you as our first daughter to lead behind the curtain. Take note, Sister Adut Salva Kiir Mayardit, that South Sudan is in a sporadic war, and even with reduced levels of conflict, the pain on citizens is palpable. Citizens are enduring a strange, invasive, biting, and invisible siege emanating not from bullets but from economic paralysis.
You have witnessed how salaries have gone unpaid for several months, markets are empty, and so are the banks. Mothers fast so that their children can eat. This suffering is not a punishment from God through any natural disaster. It is a result of human mismanagement and personal greed. When the country begins to fall apart from the weight of its own failures, we must ask ourselves: who among us will speak?
Yes, Sister Adut, you are the chosen one. You are the voice that we, as a nation, so desperately need to speak for us. We know that you are not in parliament, and we also know that you are not an army general. Despite this, you possess something very uncommon: ‘trust’ from the father who leads this beloved country, and you are also trusted by the people who look to you with hope.
The entire nation has witnessed your compassion through your foundation, “ASK.” You have provided clothing, food, and healing through springs of life like water pumps. You have done this with outstanding dignity and not for show. That is what I call true power—genuine power that does not wail for recognition and that is not imposed from above, but felt by the public from below.
I can, without fear, say that South Sudan today is not suffering from a shortage of meritocratic men and women; it is suffering from a lack of strong conscience. This is reflected in the reality that the economy, which was once safeguarded by strong institutions, is now controlled by networks whose interests do not align with the suffering of the people. While the efforts of some members of the economic cluster, like the Ministry of Finance, have seen modest improvements in the economy, the overall situation remains fragile.
Honestly speaking, our economy has been captured from those entrusted with its safeguard, like the Ministry of Finance and Planning and the Central Bank, by individuals whom I can describe as more powerful than the usual city cartels. It is in the hands of those who hoard wealth, those who hide vital economic decisions from the public, and who are alleged to have shifted the nation’s bank accounts offshore, treating the public trust like a commodity.
This powerful network of wealth accumulators seems to have guardians beyond our borders, like their bank accounts, and they have made it possible to dangle the soul of our nation so high that it is beyond the reach of the citizens and even beyond the reach of the president himself. In fact, the economy does not reflect the needs of the people or the overall aspirations of the country.
The loyal servants of the land, those whose loyalty to the country has remained firm, now find themselves in silence or confinement because the state, acting in the interest of this network, betrayed them. Due to this, the capture of the state by a few elites has occurred. Now, at the heart of the nation are men who are too close to the treasury but too distant from the aspirations of the SPLM-led government and the needs of ordinary citizens. This is how reform has been quickly stifled right before our eyes.
Sister Adut, this is why your voice is more important now than ever.
You are not the first “First Daughter” to encounter such harsh realities. Throughout the world, first daughters have played critical roles in revitalizing nations where institutions alone were insufficient to do so. Here are a few examples:
- Chelsea Clinton supported her father during challenging times in the history of his presidency of the United States of America. Her influence played a significant role in transforming her father’s then-troubled legacy into a radiant one, focusing it on global health, education, youth empowerment, and other humanitarian efforts.
- Ivanka Trump was also instrumental during her father’s first term. Even though she was not elected, she played a meaningful role in influencing important initiatives related to labor, trade, and women’s policies.
- Alice Roosevelt was known for her wisdom and diplomacy after she helped resolve crises that her father could not address. Through her diplomatic elegance, she helped end the Russo-Japanese War and brought peace to millions of people who could have perished in the face of war.
These daughters and others are not greater than you. They did not hold offices either; they just had the ear of presidents, and they chose to carry the hopes of their nations on their shoulders.
Sister Adut, you have stood beside a man, your father, our president, who granted this country its independence. President Salva Kiir Mayardit is a man whom we all know has dedicated his life to two liberation causes. Let his legacy be defined not by the battles he endured but by the peace he cultivated and the economy he rescued from the grip of an unremorseful network of economic mafia, for lack of better words. Through your calm spirit, may it be said that in the hardest moments of his leadership, a daughter reminded him of the people’s cries, and that he listened.
Dear Sister Adut, kindly advise him not in a harsh tone; convey with a broad smile the message of renewal. Remind him that justice and loyalty can both be served but not at the expense of the other, since they are not adversaries.
Let him reconsider the fact that those who have served faithfully deserve not to be silenced or punished. Among them are men and women who are patriotic and hardcore in the defense of their country, and they can also remember their fallen colleagues and the blood of martyrs that was sacrificed to lay the foundation on which our country is built.
Remind him also that the injection of new blood in the governance of our country is vital, in that generational entry can reinvigorate the national spirit of unity and help in reconciliation and economic development.
Whisper to him that the economy needs to be restored to the people and that it should not remain under the control of unseen forces. It is, in essence, the backbone of our country.
Dear sister, this is not a letter of protest or the advancement of a personal agenda. It is a letter of possibility.
Let your influence be felt not through ceremony but through meaningful engagement in the path to reforms, knowing that your voice is quiet but powerful. Let your name be remembered not merely as a daughter of the palace but as the daughter who helped change the course of history. A lot is happening, and you can be the bridge that all desire to achieve national cohesion.
Let it be remembered, too, that when the country was faced with uncertainty, one daughter stepped forward—not into pointless politicking, but into a greater purpose.
With enduring respect and deep hope.
The writer, Dr. Sunday de John, holds MBA and Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) from the University of Nairobi, Faculty of Business and Management Sciences and Faculty of Medicine respectively. He is the current Chairman of the South Sudan United Front-Progressive and can be reached via drsundayalong4@gmail.com
The views expressed in ‘opinion’ articles published by Radio Tamazuj are solely those of the writer. The veracity of any claims made is the responsibility of the author, not Radio Tamazuj.