U.S. Ambassador to South Sudan Michael J. Adler. (Courtesy)

The U.S. ambassador to South Sudan advises that a federal system of governance in the country must enshrine the principles of human rights and democracy as well as the transparent use of national resources to benefit the people.

Ambassador Michael J. Adler spoke on November 15 during an event organized by the South Sudan Political Parties Forum to discuss the possibility of adopting federalism in the country.

The country is set to switch from a decentralized to federal system of governance after a national dialogue conference in November 2020 endorsed federalism that will return the country to more than 32 states.

Mr. Adler said as the country prepares to adopt the constitutional system, there must be answers to the questions of what kind of federalism it will be, and who it will benefit.

“….the key questions I would urge you to consider about federalism are as follows: Will it matter?  If so, for whom will it matter? Will it serve the interests of all South Sudanese people, not just elites in power? Will it serve the interests of peace?” Adler said.

The envoy added that South Sudanese federalism will only matter and serve the interests of peace and of all the people if it is used to uphold principles of democracy, human rights, accountability, rule of law, freedom of expression, and good governance.

According to him, Washington would like to see that these fundamental values are enshrined in any system of governance that South Sudan embraces.

“We seek to see the South Sudanese people achieve a political system consistent with the foundational values that decades ago launched U.S. engagement in what is today South Sudan,” said Adler.

“For the future of this country, these principles must be adhered to.  They must be adhered to at all levels – the national, state, county, and boma levels.”

The envoy said decisions about the future constitutional system in South Sudan are for the South Sudanese people to make and must be reached through a consultative basis, and not imposed unilaterally.

He warned that the South Sudanese federalism will not matter or serve the interests of the people, if it is instead merely used to provide an “obfuscating veneer of democratic legitimacy.”

Adler said the structures and mechanisms of federalism will only function if leaders reject the use of violence as a tool for political competition and resolution of differences and commit to a code of conduct that is based on democracy.

The diplomat said federalism will mean nothing if government officials across different levels of government are not answerable to their constituencies and held accountable for violations of human rights, corruption, or poor governance.

“At present, we are deeply concerned to see national political leaders leaving those from their parties with clear links to gross violations of human rights and corruption in positions of authority at the state and county levels,” the envoy said.

The ambassador further casts doubt about the discussion of federalism at the moment and hinting that the only discussion that is of value is one that leads to commitment on the part of all political leaders to principles of peace and service to the South Sudanese people.