Reversing the Trend of Corruption in South Sudan

Abstract

Despite various strategies that have been applied to limit and control the pervasive impacts of corruption across the world, corruption continues to be a global menace. Sub-Saharan Africa has been the hardest affected by corruption which has led to serious underdevelopment in the region. South Sudan, the world's newest State, has fallen in the trap of the preceding sub-Saharan African Countries which have been largely plagued by corrupt practices and serious deficit in governance. Since the region got a semi-autonomous status in 2005 and subsequently gained independence in 2011 as a result of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), the country has been fraught with numerous challenges of governance. As recent as August this year, the President of South Sudan wrote a letter to 75 government officials accusing them of embezzling money in the order of $4 billion; money which was meant to be used for providing social services to the impoverished population. Today, South Sudan is receiving pressure, both from its citizens and international donors, to ensure that the right measures are put in place to combat the scourge of corruption.

Killing a Country and Getting Away with It: Neopatrimonialism and Incurable Corruption by Political Elites Linked to International Development Aid

“…Moreover, the omnipresence of petty corruption in developing countries affects both citizens and business people (Clarke, 2011;Nelson, 2017;Nystrand, 2014). Riak (2013), in his article about the need for South Sudan in 2013, to start on a good foot as for the integrity and solidity of its institutions, adds that this country must aim for high anti-corruption standards relatively to three types of corruption currently crippling most Sub-Saharan African countries (SSA): (a) political corruption, that takes place at high echelons of power in a country, and which refers to "corrupt acts of political leaders and activities by which they exploit their discretionary power to make national policies that serve their own interests" (Choo & Kukutschka, 2012); (b) bureaucratic corruption, which refers to acts of bureaucrats dealing with their superiors or with the public (Jain, 2001) and who regularly ask for bribes (Bardhan & Mookherjee, 2006), and (c) judicial corruption, that comprises corrupt judiciary activities that go from pre-trial activities to trial proceedings, and that distort the proper management of judicial duties (Teorell, 2007;Transparency International, 2007).…”

Ruptura Política No Sudão Do Sul: As Nações Unidas E Um Novo Desafio À Segurança Humana (2014 - 2018)

“…It is necessary to be alert to the damage that corruption can cause and even how it can block a solution to the conflict. Otherwise, its effects could prolong instability, national frustration and violence, since the corruption process has the potential to degrade the institutions legitimacy (Riak 2013).…”

First there were 10: the case for and against South Sudan's new states using discourse analysis and argumentation theory

“…Despite its oil wealth, the South Sudanese state is financially bankrupt, unable to provide food to alleviate its man-made famine in 2017 (Nichols 2017; United Nations News 2017) or pay employee salaries (Oluoch 2016). While the resource shows itself a curse to the South Sudanese people due to failure in leadership, it remains a blessing for politicians (Riak 2013). Many have pointed out the kleptocratic context in which the South Sudanese state came into being, tracing it to a legacy of corruption within the SPLM (De Waal 2014).…”