The Round Table: Achievements and Challenges of state-building

Achievements and Challenges of State-building and ways forward

Exactly today the 9th of July 2011 South Sudan was declared an independent state amidst arousing jubilations, high expectations and a sense of being free at last. The declaration of independence triggered the state-building process which had to begin with very basic institutions inherited from Sudan. The euphoria of freedom and dream coming true overshadowed the inherent challenges of the responsibility to build strong state institutions.

Exactly eleven years since the independence, the realities of state-building have been daunted already and the state’s institutions remain largely unbuilt. The experiences so garnered as independent people have shaped the thinking of the dreamed state vis-a-vis the realities of the state-building process. Already the country was at war with itself and the little that was done within the first 2 years was shattered. 

The 2019 Revitalized Peace Agreement, however, restored hope and once again South Sudan got itself at square one of the state-building process. The RARCSS in its effort to pull out the state from the conflict-related challenges and build strong and accountable state institutions is faced with difficulties some of which are arguably considered to be a lack of political will. Listen to the full discussion with our panelists; Hon, Dr Aldo Ajou Deng Akuey , member of parliament in the council of states and former Deputy Prime Minister of Sudan, Dr Peter Adwok Nyaba, Executive Director of Latjor Consultancy firm and a former National Minister of Higher Education,  Hon Gatwech Lam RTNLA MP and Dr Santino Ayuel Longar Asst. professor of Law at the University of Juba hosted by Yach Garang.