By Kuet Toaloari,
March 07, 2016(Nyamilepedia) —- Most of the south Sudanese may think joining EAC member states is a good move by south Sudan Government. Well, to me is not a laughing matter and required all our efforts as citizens to say a “big no” toward such a myopic decision.
The country is currently engulfed by the conflict in the hand of tyrant. The bureaucracy make decisions in favor of their leadership and not a country to enable them keep on ruling the country base on their kleptocracy and plutocracy. The leadership is surrounded by numerous sycophants who strictly observed rules without any hesitation and resistance. We cannot sit back and watch as they lead us to the valley of shadow of death.
South Sudan joining EAC is the biggest mistake that every south Sudanese will regret later in the next coming years. I think it is similar to the senseless war that claims many thousand lives and displaced more than 2 millions in south Sudan today. Looking at economic aspect of such unwise move, we are the losers in the end.
Joining EAC is an oligarchy organizational interest and it is not neither citizen’s demand nor interest. The Government of south Sudan should have conducted a referendum in consultation with the citizens before south Sudan fully joined the EAC bloc. I would like to articulates and express my anxious feelings on this issue by first of all giving my readers preambles, formation of EAC bloc and its objectives .
The EAC is an intergovernmental organization consisting of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda respectively. The EAC was formed in 1967 and later on collapsed in 1977 and was then revived on July 2000.The reasons behind the collapsing of this Body is simply because of Political differences, economic benefits and which country should take the lion share in the existing organization. The followings are the main objectives of EAC.
- Free trade regionally amongst the respective member states mentioned above.
- To creates common market with free movement of labor and capital in the region.
- 3.The political integration so that member states should have common laws governing the immigration, passports and Visas issues in the EAC regions.
In 2011 immediately after south Sudan attained its independence, the Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta and Paul Kagame of Rwanda invited the young nation to apply for a membership of EAC.Looking at such moves by the two countries towards south Sudan I personally think there are hidden motives which eventually comes to materialize today. And as south Sudanese citizens you do not needs to have an economic degree to analyze the negative impact of south Sudan joining old countries of East Africa to analyze the ways south Sudan is going to suffer ecoconomically, directly or indirectly. Basing my statement on world population 2016, south Sudan has an illiteracy rate of 73% and literacy rate of 27% in which most of them are aged years and above. Imagine only 27% are literate we cannot really compete regionally. I would personally give negative facts or economic impact on south Sudan according to my views.
- Employment opportunities to EAC citizens: Basing my statement on world population 2016 south Sudan cannot compete regionally with 27% literacy rate. The citizens of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda will grab all the employment opportunities in south Sudan leaving south Sudan citizens more vulnerable. The south Sudanese will in turns feels hatred to the foreigners and the Government of south Sudan which may lead the country into turmoil and unnecessary strikes.
- Negative impact on the Diplomatic corps: The embassy of south Sudan looking at it economically depends on visas revenues collection in the respective countries. And so when there is no money charged on visas since there are free movement regionally the diplomats of south Sudan will suffer in their respective countries more vulnerable. This will portray bad image of our country and will turn back to south Sudan as a country.
- Availability of Market for EAC goods: South Sudan being young, they do not have buy cialis uk online industries on their own, products to offer and sell or export to other member state coutries.We just depends on east African goods. They will make south Sudan dumping grounds for their goods since they have well established industries and continuing to have exponential growth GDP (domestic growth product).They will export their goods to south Sudan and we will not impose any tax (custom duties) on their goods since one objective of EAC is to have “common market”.
- Infrastructural development: South Sudan has no well developed infrastructure compare to the EAC member states. Since we are lagging behinds our neighbors will dominate banking industries, hotels industries and we will all remains with nothing and we will continue to lose even more.
However, there are some political benefits that south Sudan as a country would get from joining EAC member states as well as interest of south Sudan government in relation to the current crises. Here are the benefits just to pinpoint them briefly:
- Direct military intervention: EAC member states joined hands to combat terrorists. South Sudan being young had not yet established a professional national army. It is therefore in dire needs of assistance. Looking at south Sudan crises today, the government considered the opposition party SPLM-IO to be a terrorist group and would want military intervention to help them defeat the rebel under the leadership of Dr.Riek Machar Teny. You can see in the last 27 month conflict Uganda meddled by taking an active part in the conflict to keep Government in power denying SPLM-IO an opportunity to win the victory. To me this seems, to be the top secret of seeking membership.
- Settlement: The government of south Sudan under the oligarchy organization of Jieng council of elders (JCE), make decisions in favor of their future tribe and not the entire communities of south Sudan. Looking back on 15th,December-2013,They felts guilty and shamed of conducting ethnic cleansing and thinking more widely on the future consequences should they let SPLM-IO take over the leadership. They think joining EAC would enable them settlement , free movement and seek asylum in the respective member states like Kenya and Uganda for instances because looking at the political atmosphere now ,there are high chances of SPLM-IO taking over the south Sudan leadership citing evidences on Compromise peaces accord and Diplomacy on peace deal.
- Defensive objectives: South Sudan will Joins other east African countries in combating the widespread groups of al-shabaab in Somalia.Defence is one of the aims of east African community. South Sudan being young and inexperienced, will be drag into problems by east African countries to fight al-shabaab in Somalia with a motive of reducing rapids development that would take place in south Sudan to enable them access readily available market for their products in returns. This will eventually lead to the so-called “Monkey business”. South Sudan think that since SPLM-IO is difficult to defeats, the EAC member states will join hand to defeats them and end the conflict within short time just like they did in Somalia to fight al-shabaab.
We should not join EAC bloc to the best of my knowledge and economical observations because we will only provides market and lose 80% of our employment opportunities that would employ our young graduates and eradicates poverty in our beloved war torn country south Sudan.
And remember when we lose economically as a country, this will also affect our national development and our unborn babies. I urge south Sudan to withdraw its membership .Let’s make the wise choice today for our next generation.
The writer is just a concerned citizen of south Sudan currently living in Nairobi, a student at St.paul University Nairobi Kenya and can be reached by Kuettoaloari@gmail.com
The statements, comments, or opinions published by Nyamilepedia are solely those of their respective authors, which do not necessarily represent the views held by the moderators of Nyamilepedia. The veracity of any claims made are the responsibility of the writer(s), and not the staff and the management of Nyamilepedia.
Nyamilepdeia reserves the right to moderate, publish or delete a post without warning or consultation with the author(s).
For Opinions and News Reports: info@nyamile.com
For Technical Support: support@nyamile.com
To Advertise with Us: advertise@nyamile.com
For General Inquiry: nyamilepedia@gmail.com
2 comments
Iam sorry to said this buddy, South Sudan sould never be a member of EAC since these barbaric massacre still exists. It’s kind of horrible country to live with all frustrated citizens outside and inside of the country. Therefore, South Sudan is like a pieces of trash with all gruesomeness in the hand of blind leader to me.
Our people are still living with horror and terrors in something called their own country . They are so devastating by war without property security,infrastructure, federalism and freedom.Many of South Sudanese had been fled for their to others country and scattered because their freedom been eroding.