Emergent Decreeconianism Theory offers a conceptual lens for understanding the governance model currently unfolding in South Sudan.
Over the course of two decades, it has become increasingly apparent that the practice of governance by executive decree has not only grown more frequent, but also supplanted the foundational role of institutions. Where decrees were once exceptional, they have now become routine—effectively transforming the decree itself into the main governing institution.
The term Decreeconianism is intentionally crafted, drawing on the connotations of Draconian rule, but emphasizing the centrality of executive orders. In this model, unilateral authority is paramount. The executive’s power expands while traditional checks and balances are systematically sidelined. The result is a governance structure that marginalizes democratic norms, decentralization, undermines agreements and institution-building, and essentially operates outside mechanisms meant to ensure accountability.
Decreeconianism represents a distinct phenomenon. Empirical evidence highlights the extent of this phenomenon. For instance, Wol Atak, an opposition figure and former government official, documented that President Salva Kiir issued 313 decrees under Article 101D of the Transitional Constitution (2011 as amended) between January and August 2025 alone. In 2023, 229 decrees were issued by November, the author being a beneficiary of Decree No. 229 of 2023. Such numbers underscore how the decree has become the primary, if not the only mechanism of governance in South Sudan.
This indicates a sustained and intensive reliance on unilateral executive orders. The government now operates through direct executive orders, with traditional institutions reduced to mere formalities.
A comprehensive, longitudinal study remains necessary to document the total number of presidential decrees since 2005 and to rigorously examine their cumulative effects on institutional integrity, democratic development, national progress, and interethnic relations.
Preliminary analysis suggests that Decreeconianism is fundamentally anti-systemic. It is characterized by opaque networks of influence, entrenched corruption, and a persistent lack of accountability. Those who benefit from the system are often instrumentalized and subsequently marginalized—serving first as enforcers and then as warnings to potential dissenters. Importantly, the practical outcomes of decree-based governance remain unproven.
There is little evidence to suggest that governance by decree has delivered positive outcomes. Notably, by 2013—only two years after independence—South Sudan had already acquired the status of a failed state, a designation that persists to this day. The prevalence of Decreeconianism appears to have exacerbated, rather than ameliorated these challenges.
Emergent Decreeconianism Theory remains a provisional but critical framework for analyzing and critiquing South Sudan’s evolving governance paradigm. It aims to stimulate further scholarly inquiry and debate about the country’s trajectory.
The writer, Rengo Gyew Rengo Jr, is a PhD student in Public Policy, Governance and Management at the Selinus University of Science and Literature, Italy; a member of the National Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC) of the Republic of South Sudan and a lecturer at the School of Public Service, University of Juba. (rgrengo@outlook.com).
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