Corruption and Accountability: The Case for Justice and Rule of Law in South Sudan’s Public Sector

Abstract

South Sudan became independent from Sudan on July 9, 2011 after nearly four decades of bitter civil wars from 1955 to 972 and 1983 to 2005. These wars were fought to attain independence for South Sudan with hope of achieving accountability, freedom, democracy, equality, justice and the rule of law would prevail. The near universal support for secession among the South Sudanese during the referendum that was conducted in 2011that allowed South Sudanese to vote for a united Sudan or an independent South Sudan “reflects a powerful unifying value throughout the new country (Knopf 14). The South Sudanese people became exceptionally delighted with achieving the independence, which one may conclude as fitting given high cost, one of which was a resultant loss of millions of lives. However, one of the sad aspects of this story is that the leaders who helped in the liberation of the country miserably failed to promote and protect the independence they attained. Part of the failure is lack of accountability. This paved the way for extreme and rampant corruption to the extent that it has brought political leaders and their communities alike to contentious and perpetual conflicts for political power that divided the national army along ethnic fault lines. As a result, a desire for a meaningful co-existence between the citizens of various ethnic communities and their political leaders, and the national army, eroded rapidly. Consequently, living in peace and building a viable and stable country remain a shattered dream. Despite the steep road that South Sudan must climb, the performance of the government of South Sudan since independence has made it steeper still, disappointing citizens and international partners alike (Knopf 1).