Building Legitimate and Accountable government in South Sudan Re-thinking inclusive governance in the post CPA-2005

Abstract

Inclusive governance is significant to the realisation of democracy and peace dividends in states emerging from conflict. In principle, it offers platform for equitable representation of the ethnic majority, minority, marginalised and indigenous groups in public decision making bodies as well as ensuring that these groups benefit equally from development initiatives. In South Sudan, the exercise of inclusivity has been marred with contradictions between constitutional provisions and extant practices, for example, political parties are found to be the foci for rewarding the ‘warlords’ dubbed as freedom fighters at the expense of participatory civilian structures, the nerves of ethnic factionalism over nationalism, exercise of centralised nomination system, all of which breed disaffection and tensions among the citizenry.  Moreover, the observed militarisation of public service, perception of ethnic favouritism in public employment and appointments, the ‘felt’ development marginalisation of regions outside Central Equitoria, and unequal share of national resources comprise practices that violate the foundations of inclusive governance. In effect, these malpractices around inclusivity have fermented call for federalism (return to 23 semi-autonomous colonial districts with federal mandates) as a viable inclusive development platform over the current constitutionally mandated decentralisation (where South Sudan is sub-divided into 10 states). These ills in the exercise of inclusivity compounded with the inability to meet the 25% quota threshold for women & minorities across appointive and elective positions cast doubt on the facets of legitimacy and accountability in post-CPA South Sudan. Thus, achieving consensual and inclusive state in South Sudan must begin with constitutionalism, citizen-accelerated and equitable development and political leadership open to salient arguments on federalism and state stability.

Key words: Participation, equality, federalism, marginalised