By Maulana Deng,
Opinion.
Sept 23, 2014(Nyamilepedia) — Everyone has his own way of managing affairs and no one can question him about how he can distribute his duties and job to his family members, within his town or country. Every country has right to employ her citizens, as part of the duties that local and central can do to its citizens. Idi Amin Dada, the former president of Uganda once said “ Uganda belong to the Ugandans, Indians should go back to their country” However; It’s quite shocking to see South Sudanese talking about no having jobs while foreigners are enjoying and benefitting from their land and resources whom their parent and relatives lost their lives so that they have those job.
It’s also quite shocking to see foreigners in South Sudan claiming to have right to have those jobs. I am quite stunned about how they are claiming to have rights of owning those jobs then ordinary citizens.
In many countries around the world, foreigners cannot claim that they have any right of holding government without rightful documents. What the Minister of labor Ngor Kolang Ngor was trying to do is the something being practice in other countries around the world. In other countries like UK, Kenyan, EU citizens, and etc- foreigners are required to have work permit in order to work in those countries. Does South Sudan differ from this from these countries? Every country has a right within their jurisdiction, to control their market and economy without being bullied by other countries.
I am wondering why Kenyans are mad about these recommendations? I am also wondering how many South Sudanese are working in Kenya? According to South Sudan government, there are about 25,000 Kenyans working in South Sudan but there aren’t any single South Sudanese citizens working in Kenya, then why? If we have such a big number of Kenyans working in the South Sudan, Why shouldn’t Kenyan thank South Sudanese for their generosity of employing Kenyan, and allows them to live in peace and harmony? Many South Sudanese, living in Kenya, are suffering a lot. Many South Sudanese are forced to pay money at illegal roadblocks along Kitale-lokichiogio something Kenyan doesn’t experience in South Sudan. Doesn’t this make South Sudanese to be generous people?
Shouldn’t Kenyan should be thankful to South Sudanese for their support and conglomerate that they have built with their Kenyan counterparts? Specially South Sudanese who living in Kenya towns they have contributed so much. They are contributing in term of renting apartments, school fees, and shopping and in many other business related activities. Kenyan has laws that don’t allow foreigners in Kenya without permits. If so, why shouldn’t South Sudanese government enjoy the same right as Kenyan’s government?
South Sudanese leaders must know that they have every right, within their jurisdiction to employ their citizens as first priority and according the rule of law. Also, South Sudanese citizens have right to force their government, to make sure that they are employ and to work hard to improve their welfare. In addition, they have every right to practice whatever rule of laws as a sovereign nation, and they shouldn’t be questioned by Ugandan, Ethiopian or Kenyan citizens are losing their jobs or not. It’s not the jobs of South Sudanese government to employ those foreigners without work permit. The first priority for South Sudanese are to be employed within their country that is circular? I believe this is the job of any government in any country. Our government should find ways to employ them than being forced by foreign government to accommodate foreign citizens.
Foreigners should accept the rule of law of acquiring work-permit; if they don’t they shouldn’t the work in South Sudan anyways. So long as they don’t have a work permit, should they be considered as undocumented? Also, if they are working in the government office, and they aren’t citizens of South Sudan, then they shouldn’t even be working in those departments. Allowing them works in those departments put the country at risk and it’s undermined the interest of South Sudanese’s government. Government jobs, in any others country, belong to their citizens and not for foreigners regardless of their experiences or education and it does not mean they can’t work because they are foreigners. They can work in other field and they have to respect the rule of law and integrity legitimacy of the government.
South Sudan lawmaker should think twice about foreigners working in South Sudan because this was one of the reasons to why they were chosen and they should pay attention to the call of their citizens mainly those who are not employed. It doesn’t matter whether private or the public jobs. An ordinary citizens or resident have every right to work in public or private sector this is their privilege. I am wondering if our people have forgotten why the SPLA/M went to war with Khartoum’s government in 1983-2005. We went to war so we can have those jobs. If our citizens can’t enjoy these luxuries, then why did we lose 2.5 million people at the first place?
We should flow other countries like Japan, United States, Finland, Canada and even our neighbor Kenya. These have regulations that regulars their workforce or foreigner in their countries. The term foreigner is a person who is not a citizen or resident of that country. There should be ways in which we the South Sudanese can modify the flow of foreign-worker to live in the Country and to make it works better for all whether our Citizens or foreigners.
There shouldn’t be no reason to be pressured and to make our minister of labor: Hon, Ngor Kulang Ngor to the reconsider his recommendations. He should be encouraged to more in promoting private and public sectors to hire more South Sudan. I believe this is how we can develop our country and this is how it is in other countries such US, UK Canada and in Kenya. Foreigners will not develop it, but they will always use their salary built and develop their own country. An employed South Sudan can and will always work hard to build and to develop their own country because they fought for it and they are ready to work.
People say, “ When you ‘re in Rome, do Rome does” Foreigner who in South Sudan Should flow the law of South Sudan government and they will be highly respected and they work freely in our beloved Country of South Sudan. There is no doubt that many South Sudanese in Kenya, are not being respected as Kenyans are enjoying in South Sudan. Many of them have lots of negative experiences and this make me wondered really, have Kenya forgotten how they used treat South Sudanese? I personally can still remember how South Sudanese were being negatively treated; being called Ng’ombe, Nyeusi kama makaa, wakimbizi, and always asked to produces kitembulisho. Thuasand of South Sudanese experience all these; though Kenya is a signatory to the Rome Statutes of on Refugee Statute and Bill of rights. There are undisputed statistics and it’s well-documented that we have over 25,000 Kenyan people working in South Sudan without any obstacle or being discriminated because of being foreigners. South Sudanese will always have good-hearted people and many people the world can agree with me on this point.
Idi Amin Dada once said, “ Uganda belongs to Ugandan.” So, South Sudanese jobs, South Sudan jobs belongs to South Sudanese and if Kenyan wants to come to South Sudan and to let their people continue working in South Sudan, they should work together with South Sudanese government and to find ways to accommodates those Kenyan in South Sudan, specially those who don’t work’s permit. There should any need to have hate’s speech. Let’s have memoranda of understanding, respects of rule of law and to abide with the system of government and its policies. We are brothers and sisters; we need to work together and to overcome this misunderstanding.
The author, Maulana Deng, can be reached at deng32@hotmail.com
