Page 96 - EVOLUTION OF THE SUDAN PEOPLE’S LIBERATION MOVEMENT(SPLM),

economy. Industrialization is slow or non-existent and finally political uncertainty or possible war
if the succession question is not carefully handled. Angola, however has managed a successful
post war reconstruction without western donors while South Sudan has failed with all relevant

western and United Nations support.
The post war reconstruction in Africa, as earlier observed has tended to follow the liberal peace narrative

who short comings are already pointed out. Views on the liberal reconstruction have assumed that
reconstruction as an event with operational check list to implement. In other words, it assumes a single
narrative that is sequential starting with deployment of peace keepers, Disarmament, demobilization and

reintegration, repatriation of refugees, security and judicial sector reforms, setting up war crimes tribunal
or truth commissions. The last and the most important is organization of usually multiparty elections that
more often than not opens the old wounds. The elections are a culmination of the narrow pursuit of peace
at all cost and short term approach to national reconstruction leaving the state vulnerable after abrupt or
phased withdrawal. The South Sudan model of reconstruction during the transitional period was based on

liberal reconstruction and failed from the outset in achieving the intended outcome. The period from 2005
and 2011 witnessed high level of official graft and corruption across the board.

“when a nation’s leaders have no intention of making the nation’s reconstruction their main
agenda, you will experience high level of graft. Mistrust amongst the leaders made it possible
for them to gather as much as they could before the opportunity could varnish, at the expense

of building South Sudan and strengthening systems.”(O.I, Lona James Elia, Juba, 27/03/2016).

Not all countries pursued neoliberal reconstruction model in Africa with success. In fact on the contrary,
non-market driven reconstruction efforts pursued by Angola and Eritrea for example had positive impact
on the lives of the people. The former undertook a successful reconstruction driven by higher commodity
prices such as oil. The central focus was to use oil for infrastructure development and the defeat of Jonas

Savimbi of UNITA in 2002 created political stability. The spectacular according to Ricardo Soares de
oleveira, post war reconstruction in Angola can be attributed to three factors namely the outright victory
over UNITA, the rebel movement led by Jonas Savimbi in 2002, spectacular increase in oil revenue and

finally the marriage of convenience with China. The central focus in Angola was investment in modern
infrastructure such as roads, railways and bridges with expatriates in private sector from China, Brazil
and Portugal. The dramatic growth however ended in 2014 with the collapse of oil prices that pushed the
economy of Angola into recession.

Meanwhile, the Angola succeeded in state led reconstruction initiative whereas South Sudan failed tin its
reconstruction largely driven by donors and international organizations. The liberal reconstruction initiatives

have historical pattern of failure ranging from Iraq, Mozambique, Haiti, Somalia and Afghanistan and could
not have been expected to succeed in South Sudan. The economics of war prevail in South Sudan whereas
in Angola it is development as usual even though both economies are petroleum driven.

Furthermore, insecurity has intensified in South Sudan with reconstruction thrown on the
back burner since 2013. The sharp contrast suggests that there are other alternatives of post

conflict reconstruction that are possibly worth considering in rebuilding South Sudan. Failure
to create viable economic opportunities for the youth leads to failure of reconstruction process.
A combination of misguided economic policy and political competition created incentives for
the elites to project rent seeking avenues that not only promotes the war but makes sustainable
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