The dream of South Sudan is fading fast – I cannot yet return

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jul/10/south-sudan-africa

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What a difference a year makes in the fortunes of a nation. As South Sudan marks the first anniversary of its independence from Sudan, many who celebrated so euphorically in the streets now admit that their dream is fading fast. The country so many yearned for is teetering on the brink of crisis and only concerted international action can steer it away from the cliff edge.

After falling victim to surveillance, intimidation and detention by the regime in Khartoum and forced to flee to the UK in 1999, I had a lifelong dream of helping to build a new democratic country from the rubble of a civil war spanning two decades. It looks likely to remain a dream. South Sudan's first year has been much worse than expected. It is the world's newest nation and, perhaps, its newest problem child.

Official corruption is rife; the people elected to lead the new country have plundered its resources with impunity. Government officials have been accused of emptying over £2.5bn from the state coffers, most of which is known to be in private bank accounts in the UK and the US. This would have a negative impact on a developed country. For one of the poorest states in the world, it is nothing short of devastating.

Only a handful of South Sudan's poorly resourced hospitals serve its population of about 9 million. With very few schools, more than 80% can neither read nor write. There are about 60km of paved roads across a territory the size of France. Stealing £2.5bn has decimated social services and increased the risk of strangling the country in its infancy.

South Sudan's fledgling democracy has fared just as badly. For more than 20 years, millions of South Sudanese fought for their freedom from Khartoum. Ironically, the rebels-turned-politicians have not introduced the political freedoms that were denied to the people of South Sudan by the Khartoum regime. The country has needlessly adopted a federal system of government with a bloated, corrupt, incompetent and nepotistic ruling class of 500 ministers and 2,000 members of parliament. Of the country's 22 political organisations, most are simply "briefcase" parties existing on paper only. Freedom of the press is being systematically eroded by draconian censorship. South Sudan escaped from an oppressive regime in Khartoum only to be faced with a new repressive regime in Juba.

Too many South Sudanese have been excluded from the economic, social and political spoils of independence. Tribalism – reflected in the disproportionate dominance of the ruling Dinka tribe – threatens to reignite tribal rivalries and warfare. Tens of thousands of civilians have already been killed in recent clashes.

Blame for this situation must be shared between the government of South Sudan and the international community. How many lessons – from Kosovo to Iraq – are needed to understand that a failed state threatens global peace and security?

The international community should have served as more than a midwife to the world's newest nation. The United Nations should have played a key role in establishing effective government institutions and democratic governance. Unfortunately, South Sudan has been left to its own devices.

The ruling party claims to be the leading partner of a "broad-based" government. This has been accepted without question despite its dominance. International aid programmes have been marred by a policy of "hear no evil, see no evil". And very little was done to reduce tensions between the north and south which threatened war.

Making South Sudan a success demands the world's attention, commitment and engagement – this has been noticeably absent. The international community must do more than pay lip service to South Sudan's development. It is not too late for concrete action to bring the country back from the brink.

International aid programmes and loans should be linked to the development of genuine democratic institutions, tackling rampant government corruption and respect for political freedom and human rights. The international community should stop ignoring the resolution of the issues left over from the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, with the two countries brought to the negotiating table to agree on their border, how South Sudan should transit oil across North Sudan to the only available option of Port Sudan and resolution of the issue of citizenship for the South Sudanese living in the north.

Following my absence from the parties celebrating South Sudan's independence in 2011, friends and family often asked why I would not return to South Sudan immediately.

Unlike those blinded by optimism, opportunism, power or greed, I will not return until the government of South Sudan demonstrates more accountability, transparency, respect for human rights and genuine political pluralism. Unless the world acts, I do not expect to return for some years to come.