The S.S. Interim Committe for Constitutional Review & Thier Effects on the Foundation of the Nation's Constitution.

As a Southerner who have contributed to the liberation of this nation (South Sudan) as Jesh El Ameer (Red Army), I feels I have an obligation and responsibility to continue to contribute to the establishment of our new nation, the Republic of South Sudan. It is important to see our leaders like Salva Kiir crossing us the river to the promise land of South Sudan, which is a very historic record and you deserved a credit from all Southern Sudanese people both in south Sudan and in exile. Indeed as acknowledged by other authors in their articles, President Kiir Mayardit has fulfill the aspiration of marginalized Southern Sudanese since the the beginning of Arabs settlement till the time of British colonial in the region (South Sudan). Through his unwavering leadership for letting Southerners achieved their freedom in the humankind history dream of Freedom for , Justice for all and Equality regardless of your race and gender. With much expectations that have built for more than hundreds years from Southern Sudanese's struggle we expect your leadership to look into the review of the interim constitutions of the new nation (Republic of South Sudan) critically through good representations of views from all walk of Southern Sudanese lives.This review committee must be guided by those who are expertise in the area of constitutional law because it is important to get this constitution right from the beginning otherwise getting this constitution wrong will be better that South should have remain under the Arab rule as it has been during the last 50 years. However seeing all the faces of SPLM and GOSS leadership as the only body that is going to review this interim constitutions of South Sudan cast doubt on my and many others whether this review committee will represent the view of Southerns are will they do their own interest that will keep them in the leadership. Already with e corruption that is reigning in the South leadership it is important that the review of the constitution is done by a body that will be fair to the future generation of South Sudan. Seeing the following names as the interim constitutional committee. I struggle to understand what does this mean in term of ethnic representation and youth representation among other groups that exists in the region while their views required to be represented in this crucial work of the nation. [Sources quoted from SUDCOM].

1. H.E John Luk Jok,

2. H.E Telar Ring Deng (not a Minister but legal advisor to the President?),
3. H.E Tor Deng Mawien (not a Minister?),
4. H.E Michael Makui Lueth
5. H.E David Deng Athorbei,
6. H.E Paul Mayom Akec,

7. H.E madam Awut Deng Acuil,

8. H.E Gabriel Changson Chang,

9. H.E madam Jemma Nunu Kumba,

10. Justice Reuben Madol Arol,

11. Justice Deng Biong,

12. Hon. Lawrence Korbandy,

13. Hon. Robert Lado Loki,

14. Prof. Deng Awur,

15. Hon. Peter Samuel Mogga,

16. Hon. Dr. William Kon Bior,

17. Hon. Mary Nyaulang Reat,

18. Dr. William Othwonh, 19. Dong Samuel Lual,
20. Hon. Dengtier Ayuen Kuur,
ADVISORS:
1. Justice Ambrose Ring Thiik,
2. Prof. Akolda man Tier,
3. Justice Bullen Panchol Awol,
4. Justice John Gatwec Lul.
This Constitional committee must represent different groups in South Sudan, classically, politically, ethnically. It must reflects other groups such as religious group, youth group, women and and disable group, It is important that this interim constitutional committee be a body that southerners will approved their work before they could commit themselves for the work of reviewing this constitution. Review of the constitution does not need rush, Southerners must get this right otherwise it will be a nation that will be run by individuals who will keep changing it every time a new leader comes into power as its now happening in many nations of Africa and Latin America where a leader would change the terms of presidency inorder to accommodate his/her own interest.

Having pointed out my view on these committee members (whose majority of them are from Dinka) does not mean that this committee members are unable to deliver the right job needed, but most importantly this job need to be done right because constitution is the base and backbone of nation and without it the country will not be able to stand on its own without individuals running the country. What need to happen in this situation is for the advisory committee members that are competent should lead the interim constitutional committee review instead of being appointed as advisers. I believed it was a wrong advise on whoever that advised you Mr. president to pick these expertise as advisers instead as leading committee members that must review this interim constitution of the Republic of South Sudan.

We Southerners need a strong constitution that will maintain peace among us as we have endured so much suffering in the last five decades of two civil wars.We Southerners need a constitution that will last to the end of current humankind's life time on the face of this planet without alteration by any man.We Southerner need a strong constitution that will over-ride the interest of any individual leader that will be able to govern southern Sudan in the future.We Southerners need a strong constitution that will fight corruption that is now eroding values of our culture, dignity and respect of public assets (including money that everybody is looking to get rich only in South Sudan).We Southerners need a strong constitution that will protect civil society and all vulnerable citizens of South Sudan from authorities that will abuse their power positions.

External Expertise Request from International Community:

The second most important group that is critically needed in this interim constitution review is to at least invite foreign expertise through African Union in countries such as South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia among few to mention in the African continent. The GoSS under the leadership of Kiir must invite expertise from international community through UNSC [United Nations Security Council] in the leading nations such as the US, Australia, New Zea land, UK and other European nations, Asian Countries like India, Japan, South Korea that support the independent of the South to help in review of this constitution. These nations can provide the South with wealth of knowledge and expertise that can guide and produce a well founded constitutions that could lead our country into a stable nation with a strong constitution of South Sudan.Therefore, this committee must be review before the constitution and it must includes all different groups mentioned above if president Kiir really want an independent South Sudan with a strong constitution that should government our nation instead of individual whose interest will prevail when reviewing this constitution.

These views are solely from the Author [Nyok Achouth Gor] he can be reach on Em: nyok4zsudan@yahoo.com.au, or nyokchouth@gmail.com, Mob: +61411813437 [Canberra - Australia].

This Blog is Dedicated to My Country the Rebuplic of South Sudan due for Independent in July 9, 2011.

Welcome to South Sudan Focus Home, this blog is dedicated to engages South Sudanese political analyst in Diaspora on South Sudanese Politics both domestic and foreign policies.

This blog dedicated to the Visison of New Sudan through the aspiration our of Late leader Dr. John Garang De Mabior whom I quote here as: "we want, a Democratic [South] Sudan, a [South] Sudan of Equality, Freedom and Progress, a [South] Sudan that will take its rightful place among the nations of our planet and contribute its due share to the progress of humankind"

The Objectives for the 'South Sudan Focus' is to be able to periodically convene an online forums to discuss and help in formulating policies that can help the leadership in the government of South Sudan to add the voices of citizens and civil society on governance and reconstruction of the nation.

These objectives includes:

1. Full Implementation of New Sudan Vision Principles of Democratic South Sudan of which two civil wars were fought (1955-1972, 1983-2005) between the North and South.

2. SPLM and all Political parties in South Must Review Governance Policies for it to rule as party for the people of South Sudan than only leaders of South.

3. All institutions must step up to fight Corruption at all levels of civil society to the top government levels.

4. Full implementation of Rule of Law by improving the Judiciary System and Police Security Services5. GoSS' Foreign Relations Strategies and Policies.
Discussion on South Sudan Secessio January/February 2011: Vol. 1, Issue No.1.

My Expectations & Historic Vote for South Sudan Referendum. A right I have been searching for more than 27 years of my life

Expectations on My Historic Vote for South Sudan Referendum. A right I have been searching for more than 27 years of my life
Finally I had voted (to day on Jan 12, 2011 in Canberra Australia Centre) for My Freedom and Freedom of preceding generations of South Sudanese. A freedom I had been Searching for more than 27 years of my life as an 8th year old boy.
For the first time in my life from the time I was born till I came to Australia, never had I use my basic human rights in my life or did I dream that one day I will reached the day of South Sudan Referendum the 9th of January 2011. This day has given me an opportunity to exercise my basic human rights and chose my future as I follow the same suits of my father and my older brother who have sacrificed their lives with many other millions of South Sudanese during the civil war between the North and South Sudan. With sharp memories of not only carrying gun (AK47) at the age of 13-16 but being in frontline with lots of horrible things I was involved in a conflict zone, I thank my heroes like my father (Achouth Gor, Panchol Achouth Gor, Dr. John De Garang the SPLA/M and heroines who have sacrificed their lives to bring this freedom to me with millions of Southerners around the world including the preceding generations to come as long as the human kind exists on this planet.

I did not dream that I would get an opportunity to be part of the leadership (as an Assistant Manager of the Referendum Centre in Canberra-Australia) that managed the referendum centre. It was a great opportunity and joy to be able to make sure I acts impartially for the referendum process since the beginning of Voter Registration process in November 9, 2010 till January 16, 2011 after the conclusion of referendum voting. Having fought in the war and being required to act neutrally during the referendum registration and voting was so conflicting, challenging, and contradicts taks to my previous perception on how to achieve freedom of South Sudanese people and that is by war alone. I did not had a dream that my mother, brothers and my younger sister who is 19 year old (Akech Achouth Gor) will one day vote for their future as any other South Sudanese member who should decide their future by exercising their choice of freedom without caring guns.
To my supprise, I did not know that international community led by the US, UK, Australia, other European Nations and some of African countries will stand up to ensure that individual rights like mine and millions of Southerners are protected so that they can exercise their rights of democracy in order for them to leave in peace. Like any other Southern Sudanese person I do believed international community specially the US, UK, Australia and other members of international community deserve credit from people of South Sudan wherever we are in the world. I personally thanks the international community including the Australian government, the Australian public and all my Australian friends that have been supporting us in whichever way the suffering of southerners is heard and recognized by those who don’t know it by supporting us. As South Sudanese in Australia we owed the Australian government an enormous credit due to its efforts to ensure that this referendum is conducted peacefully and fairly as acknowledged by the international observers that "it is a fair and credible referendum that had met the international standard of conducting the referendums or elections in the world". This support gave me a real opportunity to be able to choose what I want freely without political influence or interference from any authority and i.e. my choice for independent South Sudan of Freedom, Equality and Progress for All is respected.

Years of living with Quilt & Shame due to My Sudanese Birth Nationality [or identity] associated with All Bad things of Sudanese by the world.

During the years I lived in three countries of Africa (Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya) as a refugee before coming to Australia I have been carrying with me feelings of quilt and shame due to how I felt all the time for being associated with the nationality of Sudanese a country known in the world with all bad things war, failed society, and people that cannot solved thier own problem in all aspects of life. This experience was so painful to me in Kenya were I have witnessed and tested the challenges of being a foreigner or a refugee in a foriegn country. I was treated with thousands of South Sudanese refugees in Northern Kenya in most cases by the Kenyan Police and their locals in an inhumane way as a foreigner wondering in a foreign land with out reason according to them. I remembered one incident where police beat us up because we could not give them money as they were asking for money from us and they said that 'Are you Christians? and we responded yes, Do you people reads your bible especially in' "Isaiah Chapter 18 where its prophesied that "God is going to punish people of Sudan (Cush)', you know what? we are the hands of God to punish you so that you will hear God's message". And the police officers beat people up with rungu (swahili word means stick). It is an experience that will never go away to the rest of my life. After this referendum I tried to reflect on those memories of my life and I felt bad but on the other hand this referendum will stop the war and it has relieved me from these feelings of quilt and shame of my identity (Sudanese) due to how it is associated with conflict and a failed society in the world. The same feeling has been happening also after coming to Australia, I continued to have the same feeling when asked 'where are you from orginally' by Australians and I said 'I come from Sudan, I found myself sometimes with reasons hide my origin (Sudanese) and I felt like I wish I was from another country that the people of Australia associates with good life of peace, good people, a country that is known because of good reputation and stability politically, economically and socially. I still struggle somtimes but I will try to think in a more positive South Sudan as a result of referendum. Now I can be a proud person from a background where life is going to be associated with people from other nations of the world that are in peace. A society where problems are settle diplomatically and peacefully,. I felt the good progress in terms of human life and my people from South sudan are re-joining the family of humankind through developments progress instead of being a burden to other countires through refugees, aid programs and many other humanitarian assistances. Now if am asked of my background then I can be proud of my background identified as Southerner from a society that is working hard to join the family of mankind in all aspects of life. It will take sometime for me to settle down with all that I had been carrying with me for more than 27 years in my life. This referendum has given me great opportunity for me to be able to re-adjust my life and identity (not to be associated with problem of Sudan) as a Southern Sudanese person.

Focus on My Homeland (South Sudan) that have costed much to me:

My next focus with the rest of Southerners back at home (The Republic of South Sudan)and in Diaspora is the expectation of development in term of good governance, establishment for the rule of law, Social justice for all and eradication of corruption (our next enemy of South Sudan). This enemy is now replacing the position of the North as it becomes an enemy number one for southerners than Arab. Development is the biggest challenge to the leadership of GoSS as well as to all people of South Sudan due to accumulated expectation for more than 50 years during the two civil wars. Southerners must be given real democracy not a perpetual democracy by leaders of South Sudan. Late Dr. Garang put this in his address in 1986 "[We need a real] democracy which embodies equality, freedom, economic and social justice and respects for [basic] human rights not as slogans but as concrete realities that have concrete content which we should promote, cherish and protect".

The Author [Nyok Achouth Gor] of this article can be reach on +61411813437, nyokachouth@gmail.com or nyok4zsudan@yahoo.com.au for any concern and clarification.

THE ROSS’ FORIEGN RELATIONS: THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH SUDAN [ROSS] MUST BE SELECTIVE WITH ITS DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

As the Republic of South Sudan (RoSS) gears toward its independent in less than three weeks on the July 9th 2011, the country will be the newest nation: will be Africa's 54th nation, and a world’s 194th nation on earth. The Republic of South Sudan has already formed diplomatic relations since 2005 after CPA and will continues to establish strong and new relations with all countries in Africa and in the world as it becomes a new and youngest family member in the world. These relations are importance to be establish based on a clear mutual respect and benefits with any country that it’s inters into diplomatic relations with. As a new state with so much inexperience to be able to deals with some experienced states (such as the US, the UK, in theist), it matters significantly for the RoSS not to be caught up in a state of relations where so much benefits goes to other states whose interests are bound by hypocrite relations of which they pretends to be honest in their relationships but they turned their true colours once a state pursues its own national interest, economically and politically.

Due to nature of states' unpredictability, the ROSS must be very vigilant and critical as it starts to engage with other nations within the international system of 'anarchy' where states are bound by the quest for "self-help". In such situation it is so crucial for the RoSS to understands the environment its operating in as an environment that give state limited or less protection and no other states will look after her regardless of whether it is a young nation that need help before it could stands on its feet.

As the system of anarchy is concern, I argues that, the ROSS must be selective while it establishes it's foreign relations with other states since all states are bound by ‘self interest’ which could disadvantaged its both statecraft and national interest as a young nation: economically, politically, and strategically. The ROSS must join the world with a clear knowledge that it has to be independent from any country pretending to nurture it as a young nation that need helps; however, it must slowly develops such relations without rush and that could place it in a better position to know who are the best friends that it can trust though it's very difficult for states to trust each other due to ‘security dilemma’ of international system of anarchy.

As a nation born from almost two centuries of bitter struggle for freedom from its Ottoman Empire and colonial rulers since 1820-1955.The same states (such as the UK, Egypt, Russia and the US) are still engage in their own agendas in different forms (in the contexts of 21st century slavery and marginalisation) either in form of economic marginalization and development supports facilitated in a very dishonest forms of diplomatic relations with various countries. These dishonest relations are evidenced in the situation of South Sudanese people's struggle against injustice in the last 191 years since 1820- 2011 as history can tell, where some countries have been changing their relations styles based on national interest. For such reasons the RoSS has to be very critical in its diplomatic relations with all these states that seem to be of a good benefit to her particularly the US whose interest end up to destroy other statehoods if its interest is not guaranteed by a state like the RoSS as it is now happening in the Middle East.The RoSS must be watchful of any exploitative diplomatic relations as it establishes its foreign relations with various countries in the region of Africa who are puppets of western countries. For instance, a state such as Uganda that would-be the strong ally and a neighbour that shares common issues with the RoSS is the best example known that the nation of South Sudan must be watchful of its relations as it serves double-edge-interests of its own and other countries like the US and the UK particularly. This exploitative diplomatic relations is explicitly demonstrated by a mystery death of our late leader Dr. Garang whose death left people of South Sudan with many questions unanswered on who is behind his tragic death at the time he left Uganda on the 30th of July 2005. For this reason, the RoSS has to be very watchful with world's canny states like the US, the UK, Egypt, Russia and the rising China (that is bound by quest for resources)that have no other agenda but self-interest.

For this reason, the RoSS should employs selective strategies as it invites the world into its untapped natural world otherwise it will face consequences of exploitation from the advanced nations who pretend to be the best through their hypocrites alternative assistance that are offered informs of development and good governance supports.In this case I strongly argue that, the RoSS' national interest must prevail first more than the interest of individual leaders of the Ross or of any state that it enters into relation with. These relations must be based on mutual respect and on the national interest of South Sudan people from any country that the RoSS develops diplomatic relation with. Since states exist in an anarchical system, the RoSS must understands that it has and must be independent from any country including those states that are going to recognize its independence whose motives are so blurred at this time of South Sudanese history. These countries' interest must be assess critically and be scrutinize well to ensure that they do not exploits the young innocent nation(RoSS) from its natural resources and national security since some of these countries have been against the freedom of Southerners and along history proved itself.

However, having said that, it is acknowledged that for the RoSS to develop as a viable nation and a respected member of international community by all means, it has no choice but to builds diplomatic relations with states such as the US, the UK, France, Germany, China, Japan, and Russia because it’s one of the conditions it cannot avoid for its survival, but such relations must not be in the expense of its security. In order not to be exploits of its resources due to its inexperience, the Ross has to continues the agenda of protecting the interest of people of South Sudan regardless of what it takes and it must know that no other state will come and tell it what to do for its successes and failures, all will dependent on its leaders who should not put the country' interest as second from their personal interests which could determines which country the RoSS enters into relation with.With this concern in mind I strongly think that it is the responsibility of every member of South Sudan to make sure that our government is engaged in a very constructive, honest diplomatic relationships, and to understand the reality of the international system its entering into. A world of anarchy with no global police or other state to pick up the phone in the middle of night when the RoSS ring for emergency phone once it is in trouble with other states that cheated or threatening it survival. Individual leaders particularly in the foreign relations department must cortically understand the nature of system wherever they lead people of South Sudan to.

The author (Nyok Achouth Gor) is a graduate student of International Affairs and Diplomatic Studies at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia, the views presented here are solely from the author, and he can be reached at:

nyokachouth@gmail.com or nyok4sudan@yahoo.com.au ( Lived in Canberra Australia).