In the last three years when South Sudan got its Independent from Sudan on 9th July, 2011, after the choice in the Referendum held in January same year; the country has been experiencing rise in unemployment of youth.

After independence, the country received hundreds of you from various parts of the world and within, with expectations that the country is finally theirs and they will be able to get employed in all the sectors of development. This has not been the case at the moment. There has been tense competition between the youth of this nascent nation and their neighboring countries’ youth who are heavily have employed in NGOs and Others private sectors too.

To address such uprising crisis of unemployment, the Government of the Republic of South Sudan should come up with the law that will protect and secure jobs of their youth as the next generations to this country. In some countries, Kenya, for example enacted the labour law that gives its people 75% employment opportunities in both the NOn- governmental organizations and the private sector institutions. The rest of 25% that remained are for that particular institutions.

As a response to our country’s youth unemployment, the Author of this article applauded Lt. Gen. aleu Ayieny Ayen, the Minister of Interior and Wildlife conservation for his decision to stop foreigners from driving commercial vehicles in the country. This has two positive impacts to the country. One, the redundant youth will get employment and two, there will be security improvement in the country because most of the crimes committed in major cities in South Sudan are associated with these commercial vehicles and Motor Cycles known as Boda Boda. This has been national security threat.

Our youth are energetic and can be economic drivers of this country if they are given that chance they deserve through employment in all sectors of economy. The new National Minister of Agriculture and forestry has a lot to do. The country should not rely on the oil as the only source to generate revenue in the country, because it has got a lot of challenges associated to it, such as Sudan’s political on pipeline issue and possible oil depletion. Therefore, National minister must come up with big plans to revert its economic focus on oil, to boosting agricultural economic development. In the implementation of these big plans, our youth will get employed.

Our country is also rich with minerals and the National Minister of Petroleum and Mining, Hon. Stephen Dhieu Dau should prioritize developing the mining sector to boost economic development of this nation. If the plan is realized, hence our youth will be employed in the fields and the unemployment rates will obviously reduce, and there is likely that the current conflicts within our communities will be minimized and focus will thereafter be geared towards national building.

Youth employment must be a priority of the Government of South Sudan because this national need energetic young men who had witnessed the grave struggle to reach this era of peace.

Thank you very much for reading, I look forward t communicating with you in the future on different topics,

Hakim Monykuer Awuok
Atlas Corps Fellow from South Sudan,
Washington Dc, U.S.

He can be reached on his email: hmonykuer@gmail.com