Republic of South Sudan Visas

On 9th July 2011, Southern Sudan was declared independent, I prefer liberated from oppression but in reality she declared sovereignty - so much to joys and emerging chagrins.

While systems Republic of Sudan and Government of South Sudan (GoSS) officially ceased on 9th July 2011 and Republic of South Sudan (RSS) commenced in the instant, first on the internationally chagrined list: 1. How to get an Entry Visa to the Republic of South Sudan (RSS).

As I write this, here are your average options for entering the Republic of South Sudan:

1. Either Fly to Africa and hope to reach Juba wrath-less without an Entry Permit ; or
2. Enter South Sudan from Addis Ababa, Nairobi or Kampala to process a GoSS Travel Permit. It costs about US$ 50.0, your passport size photographs of you the alien, knowing where any RSS website or Embassy is in an African City, and atleast 30 Minutes of your time to catch your flights.

While the official line is that any Republic of Sudan Visa issued in Juba will be honoured till its expiry, please don't think you will easily enter and wonder in South Sudan on such a visa - fiercely proud South Sudanese immigration and security junior officials will not tolerate such nonesense!

Here is some Visa hope: Two weeks from writing of this article, South Sudan could begin issuing its own standard Visa awash with her own rules and regulations and of course some fees. The key phrase is COULD.

Otherwise some better news are that:

1. ITU assigned the Republic of South Sudan an international telephone code: +211
2. The world's newest republic has a new currency: The South Sudan Pound.
3. The vexing your must register your entry into the Sudan requirement might not continue in the new Republic!

Code 211, because South Sudan became a sovereign state in the year 2011 AD.

Salute Egyptian Military

Independent South Sudan

The inevitable independence of South Sudan is also awash with pessimisms as to whether the South can govern its self. One ARV (an anonymous and possibly a pen name) commenting at the New Vision website discussion merits an exception to the publishing policy of Salam Taki. The ideas are here shared with the audiences of Salam Taki. The analysis is worthy sharing.

Note: The opinions and authorship belong to the author aka ARV.

And Quote:

"....The fact that we the South Sudanese started to struggle for our independence even before the independence of the whole Sudan should not be under estimated. Illiterate South Sudanese were well enlightened enough to know what it means to be independent. How possible is it that we the current generation who went to schools where most of the African and world intellectuals studied be considered incapable of running our own affairs?

I seriously question the intellect, wisdom and even mental status of those who still think South Sudan is not ready for independence. I wonder if at all they know what independence means. I remember asking that colleague of mine in 2006 whether she thought I would not be able to do the same job she is doing for her country (as I have the same qualification to her's) when I go back to Sudan, and whether she thought having been educated in Uganda, I was not capable of managing anything entrusted to me. I actaully [sic] told her she had insulted me indirectly by implying that despite my academic achievements, I would not manage anything well. Well, I worked in Uganda and did just a good job like any other good Ugandan would do. What would prevent me from doing even better in South Sudan?

This is just a simple illustration of how ready we are. There are many more South Sudanese out there both in and out of South Sudan who will take on the role of nation building and governance. Remember, you don't need a genius to lead a country. All you need is a sense of direction - which is very much present in the people of South Sudan.

I know we are facing huge challenges, predominantly due to the nature of most of our people. We are said to be violent, hostile, aggressive, rude, lazy, and all the negative co-notations associated with South Sudanese. Some of these are indeed true while others may not be true. But these can as well be explained by the long period of struggle we went through and loss of law and order over this period meant that people took the law into their hands. Being hostile became a very crucial and inevitable defence mechanism to deter aggressors, thus protective in a sense.

Finally, I urge the prophets of doom to watch out. Their prophesies might haunt them and they will loose any credibility of prophesying again. In the April 2010 Sudan general elections war was predicted. Nothing came out close to that. This very referendum voting process violence and possibly war was also predicted. This time the message from the hostile, aggressive and illiterate South Sudanese (as people say we are) has silenced the whole world and proved beyond doubt that despite our short comings, we know what we want and how to get it right.

Our strong desire to protect and defend South Sudan will be the driving force behind our success."

End quote.

Let the optimisms be put to action. Happy New Year - 2011. Salam Taki feels this is the year of South Sudan.

Happy 2011 - The year of South Sudan

In 2011, the Year of South Sudan, the geo-political heart of Africa, you should welcome the 54th State of Africa - The Republic of South Sudan (Or Azania). It is a normalcy bias: Uganda's 2011 national elections and South Sudan's 2011 self determination referendum 2011.

Greetings from now in South Sudan: With a referendum slated for early January 9, 2011, the Khartoum government will roar, and throw tantrums and some bombs, create chaos here and there, but a full blown out war is not desirable to even the most fool hardy fanatic in that regime. An assurance is that the peripheries of Sudan - South Sudan, Darfur, Nuba Mountains, Blue Nile, the Eastern Bank and all opposition to the current Khartoum regime could all gang up against the centre. The international economic community will also not tolerate the war. Times are hard. Khartoum will not want to provoke furies.

South Sudan's rear guard: Uganda. In national elections. Conditions obtainable in the field will not favour a regime change, the leadership and presidency of Uganda for the timing. Add it that Uganda's democracy is still nascent. There, it is is a "demoNcracy". If need be, a win for the incumbent will be "democracKed".

He shall win because he is Museveni, the man, the politician, the strategist, the in-charge of Uganda's state machinery, regional linchpin, East Africa's longest serving president, and thoroughly entrenched in the socio-economic politic military fabrics of Uganda, tested and proven executive of a geo-strategically located international operations base.

Given Somalia, the Nile Basin, and South Sudan's potent crisis, Museveni's involvement and with the "international community" in Sub-Saharan Africa and the fact that Museveni is a note able continental voice and therefore one of the continent's strategists, he remains very relevant to the local, regional, international and politico-military interventions in Sub Sharan Africa.

To pull extra ordinary electioneering victory in Uganda, where Sudan had a chance in Dr. John Garang, only appeals that transcend party affiliations like politics, religion, and tribalism must be translated into into economic and fair competitiveness national campaign strategies in order to change leadership in Uganda. Museveni will therefore win because the opposition lack the acumen to pull off an extraordinary victory. Atleast it seems to be the case in their current campaigns. It is a fashion show for alternative opposition leaders - Norbert Mao and Ms Betty Kamya.

Current so called electioneering and democracy in Uganda is what I will call "DEMONCRACY". If need be, M7 will "democrack" a win. For all the ills that could follow, here is good news: the international community can not allow an Ivory Coast nor a Kenya situation in Uganda. Not in the year 2011 - the Year of South Sudan, the geo-political heart of Africa.

With other people's opinions very alarmist, and pessimist we should take the due caution: Also, brace for uncertainty. Take care. It is only Eight (08) days to South Sudan's referendum. Her independence can only be declared on or after 9 July 2011. I wish you a Happy New Year.

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