In South Sudan today, there is a very painful truth that many people do not want to face. We, the citizens, are the owners of this land, but we have allowed foreigners to take almost everything. When you move around the towns and cities, you see that shops, restaurants, schools, and even many offices are controlled by foreigners. They sell us our own water at a high price. They cook our food in the restaurants. They teach our children in the schools. They are doctors in the hospitals, managers in the companies, and even lawyers in the courts. The question is: where are the South Sudanese in all this?
Some of us are quick to blame the government, saying that there are no jobs. But the truth is that many of us do not want to work hard. We think only about office jobs and high positions. We refuse to start small businesses, to dig the land, to open workshops, or to create our own services. While we waste time complaining, foreigners come in and take the opportunities. They are not afraid of starting small. They work hard, they organize themselves, and they end up becoming powerful in our own country.
It is very sad that South Sudanese themselves do not trust their own people. If there is a job to give, many prefer to bring a foreigner. If there is a school to manage, they think a foreign teacher is better. If there is a hospital, they believe only a foreign doctor can do the work. But if we do not trust our own children who have studied, who will? What is the reason for us to have universities, secondary schools, and primary schools if at the end of the day our graduates are not given value? Why do we spend years in education if our people will leave us aside and run to foreigners?
This mistrust is killing the future of South Sudan. Every time we trust a foreigner more than our own brother or sister, we weaken our country. We give away our wealth and our dignity. We give away our identity. And at the end of the day, we shall regret it. Because when a foreigner is trusted too much, he will not only take the jobs, he will also take the power. If we do not wake up, we may reach a time when even our National Assembly will be filled by foreigners. And one day, they may even take over the leadership of our country.
I want to be very clear: I am not against foreigners. They are also human beings, and it is good to learn from them and work with them. But my message is to tell the truth to my people of South Sudan. We must wake up and value ourselves. We must wake up our leaders to see that their citizens are important, because citizens are the future of this country. If we continue to trust others more than our own people, this nation will remain blind.
Foreigners are not our enemies, but we must not allow them to rule us in our own land. It is good to cooperate with them, but it is dangerous to give them everything while our people remain unemployed and hopeless. And let us remember one important fact: all foreigners will one day go back to their home countries. They will go with their salaries, their profits, their food, and their knowledge. They are here to work for the development of their own nations, not for the development of South Sudan. But your own citizen will remain here. Your own citizen will build schools, hospitals, houses, hotels, and real investments that stay in the country.
As an African proverb says, “The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth.” If South Sudanese are not trusted and valued in their own land, they will lose hope and the country will lose its future. Another proverb tells us: “When the roots are deep, there is no reason to fear the wind.” Our roots are our people. If we strengthen them, South Sudan will stand firm against any storm.
And let me add my own proverb: “Testing the rotten egg leads you to vomit.” Its meaning is simple — if you put your trust in something bad or unworthy, you will only get regret in the end. Just like eating a rotten egg makes you sick, trusting the wrong people or wrong ideas will bring pain and disappointment. If South Sudan continues to trust foreigners more than its own citizens, it will only lead to regret, because we are rejecting what is ours and embracing what will not build us.
Let us change our mindset. Not every job has to be an office job. Let us encourage our young people to open small businesses, to become engineers, to become doctors, to start schools, to run farms, to own restaurants. We must believe in ourselves. We must give our own children opportunities, even if they are not perfect. Trusting a foreigner who may look perfect will bring regret at the end of the day. But supporting our own people will build our country for generations.
It is also the duty of the government to protect local citizens. Policies must be made to give priority to South Sudanese in jobs and businesses. Our leaders must stop giving away all opportunities to foreigners while citizens are left behind. But at the same time, we the people must also change our attitude. We cannot only blame the government. We must take responsibility. We must start working hard and supporting each other.
Our future depends on unity and trust. If we continue to trust foreigners more than ourselves, we are building a weak foundation for our nation. But if we trust our people, give them value, and support their growth, South Sudan will rise with strong schools, strong hospitals, and strong businesses.
As Nelson Mandela once said, “It always seems impossible until it is done.” My people, let us wake up from this sleep of mistrust. Let us stop despising our own and start believing in our children. Let us give our doctors, teachers, engineers, managers, and lawyers the chance to serve their nation. If we fail to do this, then we are not only failing ourselves but also betraying the future generations. South Sudan belongs to us. Let us build it with our own hands, our own minds, and our own trust.
Thank for reading, “committed to truth, driven by love for my nation”.