The Sudan Handbook

308 thE sudan handbook

of war, the people of Southern Sudan have learned patience. They seem

willing to give GoSS the benefit of the doubt, blaming the Government

in Khartoum both for the effects of the war and for the deficiencies of

the peace – for lack of transparency in wealth-sharing arrangements, and

delays in implementation of other aspects of the CPA.

With a sovereign government in South Sudan this is liable to change.

The currently muted criticism of maladministration and corruption in

the southern government will intensify. A youth leader from a southern

advocacy organization put it like this: ‘Right now we do not strongly

condemn government failure because we have to get our freedom first...

if we succeed, many of our people will quickly turn their criticism away

from Khartoum and focus it squarely on Juba.’

The new government in South Sudan and the main government party,

the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), face a historic choice.

One path they can take is to turn away from the authoritarian habits

developed during the civil war and embrace the principles of an open

society. It is an idea of government that has parallels in the culture of

many of the societies of pre-colonial southern Sudan. This would entail

a commitment to accountability, respect for free speech and promotion

of human rights. The other path would be to adhere to the repressive

and autocratic style of politics established by earlier governments in

Sudan, allowing predatory administrative practices and short-term

pursuit of financial gain to entrench themselves, while social welfare

and the conservation of natural resources are neglected, leading to the

establishment of another security state on the Nile. Which path is taken

will determine the fate of the new nation.

The south also needs to beware the growing involvement of western

countries in its political and economic development. The prospect

of independence opens the gates to outside investors, mainly in the

oil industry. Few countries in Africa have benefited from sudden oil

wealth and the sudden, misshapen development it brings in its train.

An independent south will need to learn from their mistakes. Southern

Sudan is seen, moreover, by some western interests as a buffer zone

The Sudan Handbook, edited by John Ryle, Justin Willis, Suliman Baldo and Jok Madut Jok. © 2011 Rift Valley Institute and contributors between sub-Saharan Africa and the Islamic world – even as the front-line

(www.riftvalley.net).