24/10/2025
50 Hard Questions that will never be answered concretely by the leaders of South Sudan:
1. South Sudan gained independence in 2011, yet no national elections have been conducted since 2010. Why has the democratic transition failed for more than a decade, and when will citizens finally elect their leaders? If you say elections will be held in December 2026, what are the measures that show?
2. How will your government guarantee that the 2026 elections are free, fair, and credible, without intimidation or manipulation?
3. Why have peace agreements repeatedly been violated, and who should be held accountable for undermining national stability?
4. What mechanisms exist to measure whether your government is fulfilling its constitutional obligations to citizens?
5. Why are political rivalries continuously prioritized over the welfare of the majority of citizens?
6. Civilians have continued to carry illegal fi****ms across the country for almost 2 decades. What concrete actions have been taken to disarm communities and stop the flow of weapons?
7. Unknown gunmen continue to murder civilians with impunity. Why is the state failing to protect its citizens?
8. There are frequent reports of enforced disappearances and arbitrary arrests. How will you restore public trust in security institutions?
9. What reforms will ensure that the police and security services respect human rights and operate under civilian oversight?
10. The Transitional Justice mechanisms in the peace agreement remain unimplemented. When will hybrid courts and truth-seeking bodies begin their work?
11. South Sudan is one of the most resource-rich states in Africa, particularly in oil and other minerals. Why are citizens still living in extreme poverty?
12. Both Oil and non-revenues are not reflected in development. Can you account for the exact annual revenue and how it has been spent since 2011?
13. What steps are being taken to diversify the economy beyond oil, especially in agriculture, to reduce dependency and improve food security?
14. Corruption is widespread according to multiple reports. Who has been prosecuted at senior levels for corruption in the last 14 years of independence?
15. Why are civil servants and soldiers often unpaid, leading to instability and hardship among those responsible for national service?
16. More than a decade after independence, South Sudan still lacks proper roads, hospitals, and schools. Why has infrastructure not been prioritized?
17. What is the government’s measurable plan to improve public health facilities and reduce maternal and child mortality rates?
18. When will all children be guaranteed access to quality education rather than overcrowded and under-resourced schools?
19. How will you ensure that infrastructure projects are transparent and not awarded through favoritism or corruption?
20. What policies are in place to attract foreign investment while protecting national interests?
21. Inter-communal conflicts continue to cause widespread displacement. Why are peacebuilding mechanisms at local levels still weak or ineffective?
22. What role should traditional authorities play in national reconciliation and dispute resolution?
23. How will your government address cattle raiding, revenge killings, and land disputes which perpetuate conflict?
24. Why are youth frequently mobilized for violence rather than empowered for development?
25. Communities living near oil fields report pollution, health hazards, and lack of compensation. What accountability measures are enforced on oil companies?
26. What policies exist to ensure transparency in mining operations and prevent exploitation of resources by foreign interests?
27. How much of oil revenue is directly reinvested in the communities that produce it?
28. Journalists and activists are often harassed or detained. How can the public trust leadership that silences accountability voices?
29. How will you guarantee press freedom and protect journalists from intimidation and violence?
30. What legal reforms will ensure a safe environment for civil society participation in governance?
31. What legacy do you believe your generation of leaders will leave behind if South Sudan continues on this trajectory?
32. Why should the youth trust leaders who have failed to deliver peace, development, and opportunities for more than a decade?
33. What specific commitments will you personally make today to end corruption, improve lives, and uphold justice for all citizens?
34. How does the government justify pursuing legal action against specific political figures while others accused of serious crimes, including alleged extrajudicial killings in Lakes, Warrap, and Unity States, remain uninvestigated and unprosecuted?
35. What legal mechanisms exist to guarantee that all individuals, regardless of tribe or political affiliation, are held accountable for human rights violations?
36. Does the leadership plan to establish or support an independent hybrid court as envisioned in the 2015 and 2018 peace agreements?
37. What progress has been made in investigating the allegations that four billion dollars went missing in 2012, and who has been held responsible?
38. Can the government provide a public audit of past and current officials suspected of corruption, including recovery measures for stolen assets?
39. What systems are being instituted to prevent future theft of public resources and ensure transparent procurement and revenue management?
40. Why do leadership appointments frequently disregard merit and technical competence, resulting in repeated reshuffling and policy instability?
41. What reforms are planned to ensure that recruitment into the civil service and public institutions is based on qualifications and experience rather than tribal or political connections?
42. How does the government evaluate the performance of appointed officials, and what criteria trigger dismissal or extension of service?
43. How does the state intend to address the ongoing presence of unknown gunmen and ensure accountability for killings of civilians?
44. Question for the Vice President, Economic Cluster: What concrete criteria and measures will the government implement to address the worsening economic hardships that civilians face each month? Can you provide assurances to the public? When you assumed office, you promised that the economy would recover and that armed forces and civil servants would receive their salaries monthly. Yet the situation appears to be deteriorating, what explains this gap between promise and reality?
45. What steps are being taken to strengthen the independence and capacity of the judiciary to prosecute crimes impartially?
46. When will the government publish comprehensive reports on human rights investigations, corruption inquiries, and public expenditure?
47. How will the leadership reassure citizens that justice is not being used as a political tool against opponents?
48. What are the exact contractual timelines, milestones, and deliverables for the Bahr el Ghazal road project and other similar projects, and which of these have been missed to date?
49. Have any penalties, performance bonds, or contract termination clauses been enforced against contractors who failed to meet obligations? If not, why has the government not taken corrective action?
50. Why have repeated government assurances of completion dates of the Juba-Bahr El Ghazal road not materialized, and who specifically is responsible for those public statements?
THE END!50 Hard Questions that will never be answered concretely by the leaders of South Sudan:
1. South Sudan gained independence in 2011, yet no national elections have been conducted since 2010. Why has the democratic transition failed for more than a decade, and when will citizens finally elect their leaders? If you say elections will be held in December 2026, what are the measures that show?
2. How will your government guarantee that the 2026 elections are free, fair, and credible, without intimidation or manipulation?
3. Why have peace agreements repeatedly been violated, and who should be held accountable for undermining national stability?
4. What mechanisms exist to measure whether your government is fulfilling its constitutional obligations to citizens?
5. Why are political rivalries continuously prioritized over the welfare of the majority of citizens?
6. Civilians have continued to carry illegal fi****ms across the country for almost 2 decades. What concrete actions have been taken to disarm communities and stop the flow of weapons?
7. Unknown gunmen continue to murder civilians with impunity. Why is the state failing to protect its citizens?
8. There are frequent reports of enforced disappearances and arbitrary arrests. How will you restore public trust in security institutions?
9. What reforms will ensure that the police and security services respect human rights and operate under civilian oversight?
10. The Transitional Justice mechanisms in the peace agreement remain unimplemented. When will hybrid courts and truth-seeking bodies begin their work?
11. South Sudan is one of the most resource-rich states in Africa, particularly in oil and other minerals. Why are citizens still living in extreme poverty?
12. Both Oil and non-revenues are not reflected in development. Can you account for the exact annual revenue and how it has been spent since 2011?
13. What steps are being taken to diversify the economy beyond oil, especially in agriculture, to reduce dependency and improve food security?
14. Corruption is widespread according to multiple reports. Who has been prosecuted at senior levels for corruption in the last 14 years of independence?
15. Why are civil servants and soldiers often unpaid, leading to instability and hardship among those responsible for national service?
16. More than a decade after independence, South Sudan still lacks proper roads, hospitals, and schools. Why has infrastructure not been prioritized?
17. What is the government’s measurable plan to improve public health facilities and reduce maternal and child mortality rates?
18. When will all children be guaranteed access to quality education rather than overcrowded and under-resourced schools?
19. How will you ensure that infrastructure projects are transparent and not awarded through favoritism or corruption?
20. What policies are in place to attract foreign investment while protecting national interests?
21. Inter-communal conflicts continue to cause widespread displacement. Why are peacebuilding mechanisms at local levels still weak or ineffective?
22. What role should traditional authorities play in national reconciliation and dispute resolution?
23. How will your government address cattle raiding, revenge killings, and land disputes which perpetuate conflict?
24. Why are youth frequently mobilized for violence rather than empowered for development?
25. Communities living near oil fields report pollution, health hazards, and lack of compensation. What accountability measures are enforced on oil companies?
26. What policies exist to ensure transparency in mining operations and prevent exploitation of resources by foreign interests?
27. How much of oil revenue is directly reinvested in the communities that produce it?
28. Journalists and activists are often harassed or detained. How can the public trust leadership that silences accountability voices?
29. How will you guarantee press freedom and protect journalists from intimidation and violence?
30. What legal reforms will ensure a safe environment for civil society participation in governance?
31. What legacy do you believe your generation of leaders will leave behind if South Sudan continues on this trajectory?
32. Why should the youth trust leaders who have failed to deliver peace, development, and opportunities for more than a decade?
33. What specific commitments will you personally make today to end corruption, improve lives, and uphold justice for all citizens?
34. How does the government justify pursuing legal action against specific political figures while others accused of serious crimes, including alleged extrajudicial killings in Lakes, Warrap, and Unity States, remain uninvestigated and unprosecuted?
35. What legal mechanisms exist to guarantee that all individuals, regardless of tribe or political affiliation, are held accountable for human rights violations?
36. Does the leadership plan to establish or support an independent hybrid court as envisioned in the 2015 and 2018 peace agreements?
37. What progress has been made in investigating the allegations that four billion dollars went missing in 2012, and who has been held responsible?
38. Can the government provide a public audit of past and current officials suspected of corruption, including recovery measures for stolen assets?
39. What systems are being instituted to prevent future theft of public resources and ensure transparent procurement and revenue management?
40. Why do leadership appointments frequently disregard merit and technical competence, resulting in repeated reshuffling and policy instability?
41. What reforms are planned to ensure that recruitment into the civil service and public institutions is based on qualifications and experience rather than tribal or political connections?
42. How does the government evaluate the performance of appointed officials, and what criteria trigger dismissal or extension of service?
43. How does the state intend to address the ongoing presence of unknown gunmen and ensure accountability for killings of civilians?
44. Question for the Vice President, Economic Cluster: What concrete criteria and measures will the government implement to address the worsening economic hardships that civilians face each month? Can you provide assurances to the public? When you assumed office, you promised that the economy would recover and that armed forces and civil servants would receive their salaries monthly. Yet the situation appears to be deteriorating, what explains this gap between promise and reality?
45. What steps are being taken to strengthen the independence and capacity of the judiciary to prosecute crimes impartially?
46. When will the government publish comprehensive reports on human rights investigations, corruption inquiries, and public expenditure?
47. How will the leadership reassure citizens that justice is not being used as a political tool against opponents?
48. What are the exact contractual timelines, milestones, and deliverables for the Bahr el Ghazal road project and other similar projects, and which of these have been missed to date?
49. Have any penalties, performance bonds, or contract termination clauses been enforced against contractors who failed to meet obligations? If not, why has the government not taken corrective action?
50. Why have repeated government assurances of completion dates of the Juba-Bahr El Ghazal road not materialized, and who specifically is responsible for those public statements?
THE END!
