South Sudan's Reputation Matters

A nation’s reputation is everything before people can meet its citizens; they have heard about you from word of mouth, the press, the media, and other world governments. Our reputation globally as South Sudanese people is not that great because we are known as the people who hail from a failed state. We are known for child soldiers, corruption, oil money, tribalism and impoverished conditions in the 21st century. We are known as people who can’t seem to govern themselves. We are the perpetual recipient of United Nations aid and at the mercy of our donors. That’s the narrative out there on our behalf. Our positive qualities, contribution to our liberation, and current work to remodel our image and state don’t get that much press because it’s not as exciting as the other negative topics. 

All of these realities affect a person’s sense of self and belonging in the world. South Sudanese people have the burden of carrying the identity of South Sudan and being known as hailing from a failed state. When a South Sudanese person exposes their identity or is identified as South Sudanese, they often get bombarded with questions about their failed state, lousy governance, and why aren’t they changing. So much for one person to handle this often leads to a poor self-image since all the world knows is the negatives of your people and country. 

South Sudan was fought for in the era of the internet. As a people or state, we didn’t get the luxury to fight, struggle, and evolve without the world watching. We are the last nation on earth to come about in the time of the internet and their prying eyes. Even though the internet has positives, it also has negatives. We are going through growing pains in the public eye as a nation and as a people. As people, we don’t fully understand the effects of colonialism, Arabization, European imperialism and traumas. So when unhealed traumas meet the negative press of South Sudan, one’s identity will take a hit. That’s why it’s essential to educate people on our history to heal and foster a better-healed future from learning from the past. 

This is most seen in children in the diaspora and neighbouring African nations. Our nation’s poor reputation and failed state status are often a joke and used as a form of mockery of young South Sudanese children by their peers, classmates, teachers and administrative officials. The stereotypes about their people and nation fall on their shoulders hence the double burden I mentioned earlier. The country of South Sudan needs proper governance, development, investment in all sectors, and raising human capital, then the treatment of their children will change on a global scale. 

In conclusion, the future of South Sudan rests on proper governance and total investment in people and the state. Only through development, hard work and healing can we change our reputation from its current status.