By Nhial Bol

January 14, 2011 — As we prepare to celebrate an independent South Sudan, the question on many lips of the people is the possibility of democratization of the world’s newest state. We definitely don’t want South Sudan to follow the Eritrean scenario, a country without a bill of rights. We are happy that domestic colonialism is gone; however there are sign that dictatorship is lurking. Already we are facing a new situation of strange advisors paid by USAID in our legal and media systems; and some of advisors are involved in what we view as internal affairs of our country. US media advisor to our President is already in gear in a move seen to undermine our freedom and security in South Sudan.

South Sudan will be a showcase of USA failed policy because all indicators show that US involvement in our power structures will bring disappointments to the people of South Sudan. We expect the U.S. and all other members of the international community to respect the achievements of our struggle, but already U.S. service companies such as Bearing Point or Deloihe are telling our leadership to ignore our demand for media bills to be enacted into law. The U.S. involvement in the media policies of South Sudan is a wrong start in the wrong direction. We want the USA to pledge respect for our independence and those strange advisors should leave us to handle our affairs. Democracy cannot stand without a strong media and we hope the U.S. advisors who are giving wrong advice should take note that their presence in our internal affairs will one day undermine relations. We strongly urge the U.S. government to withdraw the so called Presidential Media advisor because he is too involved in our laws’ issues.

We are brand new and weak; however we looking to ensure our perpetual existence. We need the media laws to be passed both as a matter of pride and to enable us to promote democracy in our new country. We think the U.S. should distance itself from our internal issues. We are breaking away from the North because we want freedom, not for the U.S. to send advisors to undermine our freedom. Meddling in our internal media issues is sending a wrong signal to South Sudanese journalists about the future relations between us and the USA.

A foreign Presidential Media Advisor is the beginning of unwarranted interference in our internal affairs. South Sudan should not send signals to external powers that we are weak to run the state on our own.

Nhial Bol is the editor in chief of the Citizen Newspaper