The power of South Sudan Oil and Water, will it benefit the locals

 

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South Sudan is recognized for it's Inability to maintain stability and was termed as the Unstable State of East Africa. The country resources made the the country to be pivotal to Regional Energy and Water Politics. 

2022 conflict between Ukraine and Russia led to surge in energy and the cost of living sky rocketing and US Dollars gaining strength. 

South Sudan has the chance to capitalize in the shortage of energy in the world by expanding it's energy and food production. 

The flaws in the energy and water sector can be a leverage for South Sudan since the resources can be exploited to benefit the people of South Sudan. 

This gives Juba leverage. The country has been exploiting regional rivalries and fluctuations in global commodity prices. We’ve argued in a recent paper that the government’s energy diplomacy has allowed the ruling party to tighten its grip on power. It has also bolstered South Sudan’s ability to shape regional developments.

For iexample, ever since independence President Salva Kiir has supported the Ethiopian dam and agreed to import electricity from Ethiopia. His cabinet has repeatedly indicated its intention to ratify the Cooperation Framework Agreement, which Ethiopian officials see as key to the equitable and stable management of the Nile Basin.

In recent years South Sudan has improved it's relationship with Egypt and has countlessly been provided assistance by Cairo. This manipulation by kiir to extract support from Egypt,and Ethiopia has left the two powerful neighbors deeply frustrated. 

Not Investing In Development

The diplomatic agility shown by the leadership of South Sudan has never been manifested to the people of South Sudan. According to reports it is indicated that 50% of the population are facing food insecurity and only 1% has access to electricity and 39% has access to enough water. 

The track record since independence in 2011 is bleak: cereal production in 2021 was barely higher than in 2012, and the same proportion of the population was excluded from access to basic drinking water services as a decade ago (59%). South Sudan remains, by most estimates, the least electrified country on the planet.

True to say that, despite all the news about hydro-infrastructure or new oil investments, it is improbable that millions of citizens will get even part of their needs met. If the past is any guide, speculation about foreign investments will likely give the country’s elites the power to once again ignore the population.