South Sudanese Diaspora vs Suzanne Jambo

Paul Tambura (I'm glad you signed your email based in the UK),

Landi and the good reverend Andrew Henry, Nyatom et el,

You guys are so tired of washing dishes and doing dirty manual work in Europe & USA etc you think your best bet is an 11th hour wake up call to 'keyboard unguided missiles throwing serve' your nation after 15th Dec 2013.

If you google some of us, you will see our remarkable career history - some of us are here purely to serve our Nation. So please don't slither and salivate over nothing. More is yet to come brethren!

I am still young and you've a long way to put up with my face & services. So chill and do something useful.

As for Landi, what's wrong: you gave me a 'challenge' of meeting you: and I replied you, so what's your issues again? You're one of those characters who are ever going round and more rounds saying nothing really!

Suzanne Jambo
National Secretary for External Relations
The SPLM----------------------------------------------


Hi all,


I have always kept a distance from any discussion that has no substance and full of personal attacks. However, after I read Suzanne Jambo’s unsubstantiated attacks on the South Sudanese diaspora ethical earnings in the west, I decided to respond to attack with evidence and some facts about South Sudanese diaspora contributions to South Sudan’s development, liberation and independence.

I’d like to address Jambo’s claim about “washing dishes and doing dirty manual work in Europe & the U.S.A.,” from: lobby and advocacy; investment; foreign aid and donor contribution; the UNMISS funding; the CPA process, and the current peace talks funding.

Yes, it is true that few members of South Sudan diaspora are doing lower pay jobs. However, jumbo’s generalization of her claim to include the majority of South Sudanese diaspora who don’t fit into such classification is not doing history justice. Today, there are professional South Sudanese diaspora members who are employed in the west, the U.N., and INGOs on the basis of their strong educational backgrounds, competencies, competition, job merits of the western public services rules and regulations as opposite to South Sudan government appointments, and promotions based on loyalty to leader who controls government positions, and has upper hands in promotions, and appointments of relatives. The immense issue of loyalty has led to the current dysfunctional public services across South Sudan. In addition, the leadership of South Sudan government uses patronage to benefit loyalists, and makes family members and friends rich at the expense of the majority of the South Sudanese. This means that country’s’ economy would be control by one group.

South Sudanese diaspora earn their money ethically from whatever jobs they do 24/7, pay taxes to federal, state, and county governments, and in return they receive services from the three levels of government. For instance, the evacuation of South Sudanese diaspora from Juba, Bor, and Malakal in December 2013 & 2016 is a classic example of western governments’ responsibility for their citizens.

The 192 Kilometer tarmacked road from Juba to Nimule was funded by the USAID. What this means is that, South Sudanese diaspora, who are in your own words, “dish wishers and dirty manual workers in Europe Canada & the U.S.A.,” pay for this road that brings food and development materials to Juba for you and your family members to survive. Without the diaspora contributions for construction of this road, I don’t know how goods would enter Juba, and how government of the South Sudan would survive without goods and services tax revenues from Juba-Nimule Road.

Another example is the water project for Juba One Basic Schools opposite to All Saint’s Cathedral, funded by the USAID. The U.S.A. Embassy in Juba has all figures available.
A Mother and Child Health Care (MCHC) Program in South Sudan is funded by Local Initiative Project Funds for South Sudan through Canadian Embassy in Juba. There are humanitarian projects under the MSF and an agriculture project under Carl Bomby, all funded by government of Canada. Please, feel free to consult Ambassador Nick in Juba for further details. Below are other examples of diaspora contribution to South Sudan’s development.

The 2010 Study Tour of the SPLM and the NCP members to Ottawa, Quebec, Calgary, and Toronto to learn from Canadian experiences in Quebec’s referendum was funded by Government of Canada. Please, consult Hon. Ann Itto, and H.E. Lawrence Korbandy, if Juba Govt pays for the cost of the Study Tour trip.

The following western countries are the most generous donors to South Sudan since the CPA was signed. Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the U.K., and they formed the Joint Donor Team, which contributed $400 million in the interim period to address development issues.

During the referendum the European Union contributed $200 million Euros for development fund. In April 2013, the U.S.A, organized a donor forum to save the South Sudan economy form complete collapse. Donors added up to $300 million to the $1.3 billion already pledged to South Sudan for 2013.

Every time there is flood, humanitarian crisis or hunger problem, Juba government officials call on INGOs for help, and they usually respond quickly and positively. The operations and fix cost of INGOs in South Sudan are payed for by the South Sudanese diaspora taxes. Suzanne you cannot bite the hands, and cut the throats of South Sudanese diaspora who are feeding you, family, and your government on a daily basis.

Overall, the point here is to let you and your government officials who are hostile to diaspora know that each time government of South Sudan received funding from the western countries for development, health, education, peace talks, humanitarian assistances and study tour to Canada, the U.S., and Europe, South Sudanese diaspora contributed directly towards the funding. For example, the success of the SPLM and the NCP members study tour to Canada was due to diaspora proposal to government of Canada through their elected representatives in the House of Commons. Some South Sudanese diaspora helped the host governments with policy advice, logistics, and operations of the study tours, as well as lobby on behalf of the SPLM/A, and raised advocacy on humanitarian crisis in South Sudan. Therefore, South Sudanese diaspora through the Multi Donor Teams and other western countries foot the bills of the CPA Peace Talks; thus, paying for SPLM/A negotiators’ hotels, travel, transportation, pocket money, and other expenses. Please, tell us if SPLM/A pay a penny for the Peace Talks and the peace that you are enjoying now in Juba. Of course, South Sudanese in the diaspora did.

Who educated the western governments about Sudan’s civil war?

The dynamic of civil war in the Sudan could not have been understood well in the western countries without the tireless advocacy and lobby of South Sudanese diaspora are “dish washers and dirty manual workers” in the west. The Diaspora stories and their participations in the day-to-day politics of the governing party helped the SPLM/A to get support from the west. Yes, some of those “dish wishers and dirty manual workers in Europe, Canada, Australia  & the U.S.A,” at time left their jobs in order to appeared before the Foreign Affairs Committees of the western Parliaments, Senates, and House of Representatives to defend the SPLM/A.

The South Sudanese diaspora engaged the ten Emperors (known as the Council) to speak, defend, lobby White House, Congress and Senate and Canadian Parliament and EU Parliament for solution to Sudan’s long civil war in Africa. Through the South Sudanese diaspora persistent efforts, the following people became committed to working for an end to the Sudan’s civil war: Jendayi Frazer, Jonnie Carson, Hon. Bronx Cox, Deputy House of Lords, Roger Winter, John Prendergast, Prof. Eric Reeves of Smith College, Hon. David Kilgour, Hon. Maurice Vellacott, M.P, Hon. Prof. Irwin Colter, former Canadian Justice Minister, Hon. Jason Kenney, Rabbi Bulka, Eng. Roger Stone, St. Thomas Anglican church, Prof. John Weiss of Cornell, and many others. The South Sudanese diaspora put continuous and consistent pressure on the western governments to fund the CPA Peace; the current peace talks in Addis, the relief to IDPs and refugees in Malakal. Without diaspora efforts through rallies and demonstrations even in negative 39ºC to create awareness in the west the SPLA/M would have not gotten the exposure to attract the west to its side during the Sudan civil war. It was through the efforts of the South Sudanese diaspora that peace activists such as Roger Winter came to advise the SPLM to play the correct card in the national and international discussions and during the referendum period.

Further, the diaspora voting power during the western countries elections has play bigger role in bringing Sudan’s war closer to politicians’ eyes in the western countries, as well taking it to schools, universities, churches, and general public.

Now, let me bring South Sudanese diaspora contributions to South Sudan’s economic development closer to your fingertips, so that you can understand better, think, and see bigger picture.

In 2008, and 2009, a group of South Sudanese diaspora shipped 10 medical containers (full of medical supplies, 750 wheeler chairs, X-ray machine, Ultra Sounds, medical beds, medical mattresses, blankets, bed sheets, operating room equipment, operating room beds, delivery room beds, and others) to Juba, and equipped Juba Hospital, CES Children Hospital and Kator Clinic. The medical project equipped 13 medical clinics in CES. Please, talk to Mr. Felix Lado, Medical Assistant & the current CES Minister of Health, Dr. Kuran, Dr. Jamal, Dr. Mirghani, Dr. Louis, and Dr. Isaac to educate you on what the diaspora did to rescue and improve the poor South Sudan health care system. What have you done Suzanne besides writing disparagingly about South Sudanese diaspora?

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=269399906438579&id=100001057148645&sfnsn=wa

The 2008 diapora medical project has benefited medical clinic in the county of the Hon. Wani Igga, Loka West Hospital in the area of the Hon. Yatta Lugar, former GoSS Deputy Minister of Health, and Yei County Hospital in the area of Hon. Aligo LoLado, former CES Minister of Finance. Please, feel free to ask these Honorable men who equipped clinics with medical equipment in their areas, and let us know?


https://www.facebook.com/nyangwaradiaspora.nyangwaradiaspor/videos/634918906553342/?sfnsn=wa

In 2008, there was a flood due to rain in Aweil, and the same diaspora medical project donated 3000 blankets to the victims of Aweil’s floods. Please, consult Hon. Kom Kom, M.P., in the National Assembly for further details. How many blankets have you and your SPLM Secretariat donated for any humanitarian crisis in South Sudan? Show us your records not writings?
Furthermore, in field of education, the same group of diaspora (in 2008-to date) that you call “dish washers and dirty manual workers” equipped the University of Juba & South Sudan Catholic University libraries with 11000 medical and health Sciences, Chemistry, Physics, and Biology textbooks, Juba Health Institute library with health and medical textbooks as well as teaching aid. Please, visit U of J & SSCU libraries and ask Mr. David Lado about the diaspora medical textbooks donations. How many textbooks have you donated to University of Juba library to help South Sudan’s education system develop?

The visit of former VC of U of J, Prof. Aggrey Abate to Canada in 2010 to address the needs of U of J, was because of a diaspora proposal to Canadian government. Please, consult Prof. Abate.

With regard to investments, diaspora held investment forum discussions, and gave talks to western companies’ CEOs and encourage them to invest in South Sudan. It is these diaspora that you call “dish washers and dirty manual workers” who helped some investors to invest in South Sudan.

Every day, members of diaspora communities receive calls from the South Sudan regarding financial assistance. The South Sudanese diaspora has sent and will keep on sending $$$$$$$ of dollars to help pay for medical bills, school tuitions, Funeral expense, and buy foods for their relatives and friends. You know very well that employees in South Sudan at times work up to six month without salaries, and without diaspora financial contributions, South Sudan economy would have collapsed long time ago.

Suzanne you can write, but South Sudanese don’t eat what you write in the internet. my humble advice to you is, before you attack South Sudanese diaspora do research on them, before insulting them, see the big picture, thinks before you write, walk your talks, and think big to understand the role South Sudanese diaspora played in South Sudan’s, liberation and independence, as well now playing in its development, and the current Peace Talks in Addis.

Suzanne, think for a minute about the diaspora contributions to South Sudan’s development, liberation and independence, Why do you, other Sudan government officials, and the SPLM executive members have the audacity to disparagingly call the diaspora “dish washers and lower pay workers and not entitled to dual citizenship as stated by some South Sudanese government Officials, MPs who are mad and envious of South Sudanese foreign passport holders evacuations from Juba in December 2014. Instead of complaining about diaspora evacuation, the SPLM and South Sudan government need to learn from western countries responsibilities towards their citizens.”
There is one thing all will agree with me that South Sudan diaspora earnings are ethical, not stolen public money. Diaspora members have work ethics, and hired by the western countries the U.N., and INGOs on the basis of strong educational background, competencies, competitions, and job merits. In the west you never hear semi-illiterate cook helpers or and salesmen appointed ambassadors.

As much as the SPLA/M freedom fighters fought for South Sudan independence, and liberation, South Sudan diaspora also fought with their energies, education, pens, ideas, money, and contributed equally in South Sudan liberation and independence.

Now, the guns fighting for liberation of South Sudan is finished; however, the real big fight against tribalism, ethnicity, nepotism, favoritism, and loyalism remind the bigger challenge faces South Sudanese who believe in real democracy based on federalism, equal opportunities, and justice for all.

South Sudan’s economic developments, core value of believe, equality and justice for all require diaspora experiences, skills, competencies, and leadership. State of Israel was established by the power of Jewish diaspora in the west, and unlike, Israel, South Sudan government cannot undermine the power of South Sudanese diaspora for South Sudan’s economic development, and brighter future.


Thanks for your interest in South Sudanese diaspora, © Laku, Sr.