South Sudanese citizens deserve elections that allow them to choose their leaders freely, peacefully, and confidently. I fear, however, that the promised elections could become another opportunity for politically connected individuals around the presidency to benefit from public funds while the people receive another broken promise.
The danger deserves scrutiny now. Money could be allocated for election preparations, contracts awarded without transparency, and resources spent without meaningful oversight. Then, as voting approaches, insecurity could become the explanation for another postponement. Citizens would be left asking where the money went and why preparations failed.
I believe this possibility demands an independent investigation and immediate financial safeguards. A coordinated plan to steal election funds must be established through evidence. But citizens should not have to wait until public money disappears before demanding accountability.
Every election expenditure should produce something the public can verify: trained workers, functioning registration centers, voter education, secure materials, or accessible polling arrangements. The government should publish the full election budget, actual spending, major contracts, and the identities of those who ultimately own the companies receiving public money.
If elections are postponed, the financial accounting must continue. A failed electoral process must never erase procurement records or protect officials from investigation.
I am equally concerned that community insecurity could become a convenient excuse for failures at the national level. Communities suffering from violence should not automatically carry the blame for an election that leaders failed to prepare properly.
The authorities have a responsibility to investigate who supplies weapons, finances armed groups, encourages retaliation, and benefits politically from instability. Allegations involving government officials, opposition figures, business interests, or local commanders should be investigated under the same standard.
My concern is that individuals with political power could support violence and later point to that violence as the reason elections cannot proceed. That possibility requires credible investigation.
Responsibility must follow evidence, wherever it leads.
Ordinary families should never be confused with those organizing or financing attacks. People who lose relatives, homes, cattle, and livelihoods are victims. They deserve protection and justice, not collective blame.
If insecurity threatens voting, the government must explain what it is doing about it now. Citizens need a realistic assessment of electoral readiness, clear measures to protect participation, and regular reports on progress. Foreseeable problems should not suddenly appear as last-minute excuses.
South Sudan’s international relationships also deserve scrutiny. I am concerned that politically connected interests could seek diplomatic support that protects their positions while avoiding difficult questions about corruption, violence, and electoral credibility.
Outreach to South Africa should therefore be transparent. What assistance is being requested? What commitments are being made? How will those arrangements benefit South Sudanese citizens?
South Africa’s involvement alone does not establish wrongdoing. Nevertheless, no foreign partnership should shield officials from investigation, protect stolen assets, or provide political cover for an electoral process that excludes citizens.
South Sudan should engage openly with the East African Community and IGAD, including Kenya, alongside South Africa, the African Union, and the United States. Every partner should insist on civilian protection, transparent spending, political freedoms, and a credible electoral process.
South Sudan’s independence was achieved through the sacrifices and determination of its people. The United States government, American citizens, and South Sudanese Americans also provided important support for our struggle. Many worked to bring South Sudan’s suffering and aspirations to the attention of the American public.
That relationship carries a responsibility to defend the dignity and freedom independence was supposed to deliver. American taxpayers who supported the people of South Sudan deserve confidence that assistance reaches its intended beneficiaries. South Sudanese citizens deserve the same accountability for their own national resources.
Allegations of large-scale theft must be investigated through financial records, procurement documents, and independent audits. Specific figures should be published only when supported by reliable evidence. Investigators must distinguish between South Sudan’s public revenue, international assistance, and money actually proven to have been diverted.
If elections collapse because of corruption, deliberate obstruction, or politically sponsored violence, I believe the United States must respond with more than statements of concern. Working with African and international partners, it should support independent investigations, pursue lawful recovery of stolen assets, and consider targeted sanctions against individuals whose responsibility is established by evidence.
Humanitarian assistance should continue through accountable channels that reach people in need. Measures against abusive officials must be designed carefully so that struggling families do not bear the cost.
When I call for the United States to help rescue South Sudan’s people, I mean sustained diplomatic and humanitarian action that protects civilians, supports accountability, and helps secure a credible democratic transition led by South Sudanese citizens.
Our people must have the power to determine their own future. International engagement should help protect that right.
I therefore call for independent election audits, transparent contracts, protection for journalists and whistleblowers, credible investigations into the financing of violence, and an impartial assessment of electoral readiness. Any change to the timetable must come with a public explanation, enforceable milestones, and clear responsibility for completing them.
South Sudan’s citizens have sacrificed too much to endure another cycle of expensive promises, unexplained spending, violence, and postponement. Every official entrusted with public authority must answer for how that authority is used.
Our independence belongs to the people. Our resources belong to the people. Our elections must serve the people.
Philip Chol Gai De Nhail-Tungtil is the author of The Memoir of My Childhood and the Agonies of War. He can be reached via philipgai@live.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.
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