H.E. Timo Olkkonen, the Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of South Sudan, has come to the end of his tour of duty and revealed that over time, they have been calling on the country’s political leaders to stop unilateral action, go back to the negotiating table, and force a way forward. He cited the two-year extension of the transitional period as one of his lowest moments.
Radio Tamazuj caught up with and sounded him out in an exclusive interview during which he also revealed that the frequent changes of government officials, which is unusual for him, created a hurdle that necessitated the reestablishment of contacts when one already had a personal relationship with an interlocutor.
On a positive note, the outgoing envoy says he was encouraged by the EU’s agricultural support and the Nyamlel Bridge they built as part of the agricultural feeder road project in Bahr el Ghazal, which facilitated people to start producing and trading. He also enjoyed South Sudan’s cultural diversity, and said witnessing the migration of hundreds of thousands of antelopes from the air is etched in his memory because it only happens in South Sudan.
Below are edited excerpts:
Q: Ambassador Olkkonen, as your time in South Sudan comes to an end, what would you say were the most defining moments of your tenure? What surprised you the most about working here?
A: South Sudan is huge. When you are flying all over South Sudan, you are covering huge distances, and what is quite interesting is that the landscape is large and empty. You see very few habitations. So, that is something that surprised me when I was working here in South Sudan.
But if you are thinking about the content of the work itself, about defining moments, there are some; obviously, the arrival in the country, presenting my credentials to His Excellency the President. But then some moments were not that positive, for example, when we had in September last year the extension of the transition period agreed in the RJMEC plenary. I was just coming from Nairobi, attending the Tumaini Initiative discussions and meeting with people there, and then I flew the same day to Juba to attend the RJMEC plenary, where the decision was taken to extend the transition by two more years. That kind of stuck in my mind as a moment that was not positive, but clearly for me was somehow indicative of what was happening in the future.
Q: The EU has been a major supporter of South Sudan in areas like governance, humanitarian aid, and other development areas during your time. Which initiatives are you most proud of, and where do you feel the EU made the biggest impact?
A: Since the beginning of independence, the EU has rendered aid to the tune of €1,5 billion in development cooperation alone, and then in addition comes our humanitarian aid. It is a difficult question to say where the biggest impact would have been of our aid during my period, because the development corporation, of course, is a long-term engagement. So, I think there have been very important interventions taking place in all these areas, governance, our support to the constitution-making exercise, legal reforms, reform of the judiciary, for example, civil society support, humanitarian aid, obviously lifesaving, tremendously important. Also, how we responded to the Sudan crisis and its influence on South Sudan, our social sector support, and how we were rendering support in education and health.
What encouraged me most was our agricultural support, part of the green and resilient economy that we are supporting, where we could see some tangible changes to people’s lives. Nyamlel Bridge, for example, which is part of our agricultural feeder road project in Bahr el Ghazal. I heard from so many people how it had facilitated for them to start producing and trading, how it helped in humanitarian access. When I visited Yei, there were a number of agricultural projects that created optimism, like our support for women entrepreneurs in agriculture and the positive feedback. So, I think if I were forced at gunpoint to choose one area, I would perhaps choose agriculture.
Q: Ambassador Olkkonen, South Sudan faces complex political, economic, and humanitarian challenges. What were the most difficult diplomatic hurdles you encountered, and how did you navigate them?
A: Well, the work of a diplomat is really to build bridges between people, nations, and governments, so it is all about networking and having contacts with people. I do have to confess that with our security restrictions in South Sudan, there’s a good reason why we have restrictions on movement and curfews and so on, but in comparison to my earlier profession, I felt that that restricted me from establishing some of these connections, particularly to regular South Sudanese.
Of course, official engagements always took place, and access to decision makers was sometimes facilitated and easy, and sometimes not. It has varied a little bit during my time here. I would say one thing that was a hurdle is the constant change of people [government officials]. We had a number of changes in ministerial posts and governors during my tenure, so you had to reestablish contacts when you already had a personal relationship with an interlocutor. So, that was something that was unusual in comparison to other places I worked.
Q: The EU supports independent media in South Sudan. Why is press freedom critical for South Sudan’s future, and what more can be done to protect journalists?
A: Media freedom, press freedom is essential, especially when we hopefully come to a time when we will have more democratic debate about constitution-making and elections. Media, in providing access to information or providing a platform for debate, is essential. I do not think a democratic society can exist without proper media freedom. Like you said, we are supporting media in South Sudan, and recently we had three journalists who were sent to Kosovo for a training workshop.
On what could be done to protect journalists, I think journalists are taking more risks because they are important conduits of information, but in principle, it comes from guaranteeing their rights in terms of press freedom and their human rights. And there you need to have a properly functioning judicial system, and also areas where you can debate if there have been excesses in the exercise of the profession. I would much rather see self-regulation of media so that they would follow their ethical norms and then agree on them, rather than have regulation from above. I think we need both self-regulation, and then if we go to legal matters, then we need to have proper access to justice and fair treatment of all.
Q: With elections expected in December 2026, do you believe South Sudan is on track for a credible democratic transition? What role should the EU play to ensure stability?
A: The process of the democratic transition has been disappointing and frustrating. When I came to the country in September 2022, I was quite enthusiastic because there was the expectation that we would move to constitution-making, that we would have the first elections in South Sudan as an independent nation. It was a very exciting prospect to be part of that kind of process, and now, unfortunately, at the end of my tenure, we are not there, and in some regards, we have even been taking some steps backwards in the implementation of the 2018 peace agreement.
You should never lose hope; we need to move forward. Our call has been to the political leaders to stop unilateral action, go back to the negotiating table, and force a way forward. It is for the South Sudanese to decide how exactly to do it and what exactly is the way forward, but obviously, it should be based on the peace agreement, and it is a commitment. I do hope that we will see more positive action, more serious action, demonstrations of political will, and that we will move to elections.
Talking about December 2026, we are already in August 2025, so the time is running out, and you need a lot of technical preparations for credible and fair elections. So, it is really time to address the political and security deadlock in the country, roll up our sleeves, and start working. The EU has been there to support the transition, for example, we had electoral support, support for the constitution-making, and the institutions that are following the transitional process, such as the RJMEC. The EU has been a committed and supportive partner, but as we move forward, for us to continue rendering support for the transition, we need to see some seriousness and adherence to the principles of the peace agreement, and some serious consensus-building on how the nation moves forward.
Q: Millions in South Sudan still rely on humanitarian aid. How can the country shift from dependency to sustainable development, and what lessons can be drawn from EU-supported programs?
A: Indeed, aid dependence is a huge challenge, and that is something that I am seeing here at a different level than any of my previous postings, and of course, there is a history behind it. It goes back to Operation Lifeline Sudan and so forth, but it boggles the mind that the humanitarian situation is now worse than it has ever been before in the country’s history. So, something is wrong and it needs to be tackled.
The way aid is rendered and how people are helped needs to change. There is a disruption that is happening now because of a change in donor attitudes and donor approaches towards giving aid. Also, for the European Union, it will be difficult to continue as we did before because of all the global competing priorities that we have, and with resources that are finite. So, I believe that this will be a disruption in the way and the volume of aid being rendered. What I think is important is to draw lessons from past experiences and, as nuanced as possible, move towards sustainable solutions.
This requires the government to play its part in a way that is much more serious than hitherto. Outside donors cannot be relied on to provide the social services and humanitarian aid forever. We need more proper, transparent financial management from the government, and these resources also tend to be channeled to the service of the people. One part of the solution needs to be the harnessing of South Sudan’s own resources. For example, I was talking about the agricultural support, South Sudan loses around 30 percent of its agricultural production in post-harvest losses. This should be unacceptable, and these agricultural potentials should be harnessed to address the humanitarian needs in the country. I see two major obstacles to this; one is the security situation which is hindering process, and others are in infrastructural constraints.
Again, we are talking about government responsibilities. Like I said, we have been there also on infrastructure development, but in order for a real change to happen, we need a change for the better in the security environment.
Q: South Sudan has one of the youngest populations in the world. How crucial is youth and women’s participation in shaping the country’s future, and what initiatives gave you hope?
A: Indeed, more than 70 percent of South Sudan’s population is young people. So, women and youth must be part of the decision-making of shaping the country’s future. There is a 35 percent quota for women, which is most often not still not adhered to.
My engagement with youth in South Sudan has been encouraging, and those are some of the issues that give hope. There is this cultural movement in South Sudan, Ana Taban, which translates to ‘I am tired,’ like you know. I think people are tired of how things have been and how they have been handled, but I see a lot of initiatives and enthusiasm coming from the youth. When you frequent places like the Scenius Hub or universities, in addition to that frustration, you have energy, and you have the feeling of young people waiting to be able to influence the issues and engage in these important processes, such as elections or constitution-making. So, when the situation is unlocked and they get to get the space to express their opinions and make their choices, I think that is the moment when South Sudan will take off.
Q: You have engaged with various political leaders, civil society, and grassroots communities. How would you describe your working relationship with South Sudan’s government, and were there moments of breakthrough or frustration?
A: Well, we have gone through several ups and downs during my three years here, and of course, that has been reflected in our relationship with the government. I think our relations have always been cordial. They have been friendly, but often we have had to pass some critical voices, critical messages, and indeed at times very critical. Now we are again in a time, since March actually, when we are very much concerned about the whole collapse of the peace agreement and the continued violations of the ceasefire. So, I think it is very important that we are in a situation where we can discuss frankly about these issues, convey our concerns, but of course, we also listen. My father used to say that a person has two ears and one mouth for a reason, and that is for listening more than speaking. Indeed, listening to civil society and grassroots communities, like you referred to, is also extremely important, so you can take into account the views of the wider society when you are thinking about policy options and your engagement with the government.
For example, the importance of religion in South Sudan and the churches and various religious communities is something that indeed plays an important part. The pope’s visit here was a stellar example. That, by the way, is very much a defining moment in my career here in South Sudan. As an imbalance, I would unfortunately say that there have been more moments of frustration when we have seen things not moving or even backtracking, and much less of breakthroughs than I would have hoped for. I would want to thank all my interlocutors across the society, including the government and opposition, for the engagements that we have had during my time here.
Q: Ambassador Olkkonen, beyond diplomacy, what personal connections or cultural experiences in South Sudan will you take with you? Any memorable encounters that changed your perspective?
A: Like I said in the beginning, the sheer size of the country was something that opened my eyes, and in connection to this is the magnificent cultural diversity. When I have been traveling in the country, sometimes there was a cultural component; if not, then there was a cultural engagement on arrival, like music and dances. I jumped over a bull several times, for example, so there have been many memorable moments outside and inside Juba. We had our local staff here last Independence Day, teaching us various dances from different regions of South Sudan, and that was a very joyful moment. So, I have been having a little bit of interaction with various cultures, which has been very interesting.
I am particularly keen on environmental issues and nature, and I had the great privilege of seeing the huge national parks, like Bandingilo and Boma, from the air. I also witnessed the migration of hundreds of thousands of antelopes from the air, and that is something that will always stay with me because South Sudan is the only place in the world where you can experience anything like that. So, there are many memorable moments that I have had, too many to be listed here.
Q: After three years serving in South Sudan, it’s your time to go. What would you wish your successor to pick up from, and what would you want to see happening going forward?
A: Well, what I really want to see is what we try to keep in mind, myself and also the EU Delegation here, is the longer-term perspective. Like I said, I think we have seen steps backwards, and we are really trying to encourage South Sudan and its government to get on track and tackle these issues that require urgent attention so that we do not lose more time. But I would also say that South Sudan is an extremely wealthy country, and I am not only talking about oil. In some ways, oil has been more of a curse than a resource to South Sudan.
Having seen the agricultural potential, the soil, the water, having been informed about other mineral riches in the country, having seen the amazing biological biodiversity, not only the antelopes, but what exists in the border regions to DRC and Uganda in terms of rain forests and so on, these are amazing natural resources that some other countries would be very envious about. The question is whether these resources should be harnessed to the interests of the people, and that is what the European Union has been engaging in with some of our support. When you get the security arrangements in place, when you get governance improved, I see South Sudan having a very, very bright future. That is my sincere hope, and that is my hope also for the people and the youth of South Sudan.
Q: Ambassador Olkkonen, as you bid farewell, what is your biggest hope for South Sudan, and what would you like to say directly to the South Sudanese people?
A: Like I said, my biggest hope is that we will get an end to violence. I think this is our primary concern at the moment, that peace should prevail because the current situation is risky. We had the UN Security Council debating the situation in South Sudan just yesterday (Monday), and there was this scenario presented that violence could spiral out of control. So, the most important thing now is to stop that development and revert to the negotiating table. Stop unilateral actions and make sure that South Sudan does not experience some of the bad things it has experienced in the past, but rather start moving forward to the future.
Like I said, harnessing those wonderful natural resources that they have and moving forward with them requires security and good governance. After that, I think South Sudan could quickly grow into a place that will be quite different from what it is today.
As a final word, I would like to thank everyone. I had the pleasure and the privilege of working with South Sudanese from different walks of life in different locations, and it has been a great experience. I have learned a lot, and I am hopeful and certain that I am going to follow what is going to happen in South Sudan in the future. Thank you, Radio Tamazuj, for this opportunity to address the public.