Let me shamelessly state this fact. I am deeply concerned about the critical juncture South Sudan finds itself in. A real issue looms over us. Our foreign policy, which was anchored in national interest and the defense of sovereignty, is now straying from its true direction.
A recent article by Politico, a credible international outlet based in Germany and owned by Axel Springer, has revealed a troubling development: South Sudan’s diplomatic representatives, under the direction of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hon. Monday Simaya Kumba, have proposed to the United States of America a deal wherein South Sudan would accept deported foreign criminals in exchange for lifting sanctions on certain South Sudanese individuals.
While this proposal was rightly rejected by the United States of America, the mere thought of such a bargain in the first place has raised meaningful concerns about the future of our country and the paths taken by its younger leaders.
It goes without saying that the recent proposal by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation was selfishly formulated, and it is a typical manifestation of a troubling deviation from the principled path established by many of the ministry’s shrewd and patriotic predecessors, the most recent of whom was Hon. Deng Dau and Hon. Ramadan Mohamed Abdallah Goc.
South Sudanese, even the most disadvantaged, would expect that any serious diplomatic effort would focus on long-term national gains. Instead of negotiating over the repatriation of foreign criminals in exchange for sanctions lifting, why not use those diplomatic channels and the American influence to advocate for the removal of the arms embargo that continues to obstruct our national capacity for self-defense?
South Sudanese should not be misled. The individuals for whom our government seems to be advocating were not sanctioned for defending South Sudan or making sacrifices for the country.
They were sanctioned for looting public resources, obstructing development, creating man-made disasters like the devastating flooding in Rumbek and other areas, and enriching themselves while our citizens endured hell on earth.
They, in truth, obstructed progress, derailed national reconciliation by manufacturing war in Nasir, hired foreign mercenaries to fight their war, and deprived the national army of its salaries and basic needs, and now, it appears that they are trying to commandeer our foreign policy for their own rehabilitation.
If South Sudan is ever ready to consider the acceptance of foreign deportees, it must not do so in the interest of individuals who have betrayed the public trust. It must be in exchange for something that genuinely strengthens the country, and the most urgent one is the lifting of the United Nations Security Council arms embargo.
The arms embargo that the UNSC placed on South Sudan has deprived the country of its right to defend itself. It has weakened our military capability, enhanced insecurity, and left our people vulnerable to ongoing violations.
Our neighbors are aware of this situation. Uganda, for example, is now exploiting our weakened state. It has killed South Sudanese civilians along the Acholi land border, altered territorial boundaries near Nimule and Kaya, and is terrorizing communities in Kajo-Keji. Their actions are not random. They are intentionally doing this because they are enabled and emboldened by the understanding that South Sudan cannot respond with force.
What Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces of Uganda, does not understand is this fact: our national army, the then SPLA, was the one that successfully defeated the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and helped restore peace in northern Uganda. Today, that very same army lacks the necessary resources to fulfill its responsibilities. The SPLA was able to fight and win against terrorists in Uganda and served the interests of Museveni’s regime. Their feat, confining the LRA in the Garamba forest, where the remnants were finally annihilated, has served the international interest. It was a war won against terrorists in the form of the LRA.
South Sudan’s diplomats should now be telling the Americans that the embargo has not promoted internal peace. It has weakened those who are tasked with maintaining peace. We can manage our internal issues in a peaceful manner, and the arms embargo should be lifted to allow the country to acquire capabilities for self-defense.
For our country to regain its standing, those misusing its name should be deprived of authority, and it is for this reason that I humbly implore President Salva Kiir Mayardit to condemn and reprimand those who are misusing our national sovereignty and foreign policy to shield sanctioned individuals, or rather, an individual.
It is the actions of this sanctioned individual that have renewed internal turmoil while inviting external disdain, as seen in the actions of our neighbors who are encroaching on our lands in different directions. He must not be helped at the expense of the country.
The contempt toward our nation was made even clearer by the reckless and arrogant comments made by Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba. His assertions that the Ugandan People’s Defence Force is the mightiest in the East African Community and that South Sudan needs to be “taught a lesson before it opens its mouth” were disrespectful and were intentionally uttered to provoke the country. He might have felt empowered by our internal chaos and the presence of Ugandan troops on South Sudan’s soil. Regardless of the motivation, his words and the actions of Ugandan troops in Kajo-Keji, particularly highlighted by the recent killing of civilians, reflect a significant erosion of our sovereignty.
South Sudan urgently needs to realign its foreign policy to its true purpose: to serve the people and safeguard the nation. Our dignity as a nation cannot be traded for individual freedom, and our borders must not be used as bargaining chips to protect individuals facing sanctions. The removal of the arms embargo should be our primary and steadfast objective in our diplomatic efforts.
South Sudan is greater than any individual. Its survival requires a foreign policy grounded in principles and not in personal rescue missions and the rehabilitation of a reputation internationally tainted by theft and other forms of corruption.
Till then, yours truly, Mr. Teetotaler!
The writer, Dr. Sunday de John, holds an 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 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.