My Travels: Juba, South Sudan

Overview:

South Sudan gained independence from Sudan on 9 July 2011 as the outcome of a 2005 agreement that ended Africa's longest-running civil war. Made up of the 10 southern-most states of Sudan, South Sudan is one of the most diverse countries in Africa. It is home to over 60 different major ethnic groups, and the majority of its people follow traditional religions. Independence did not bring conflict in South Sudan to an end. Salva Kiir Mayardit became president of South Sudan - then still part of Sudan - and head of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) in 2005, succeeding long-time rebel leader John Garang, who died in a helicopter crash. Mr. Kiir was re-elected as president in multiparty polls in the south in April 2010. In July 2011, when South Sudan became independent, he became president of the new state. Just two years later, however, the country was engulfed by civil war when Mr. Kiir sacked his entire cabinet and accused Vice-President Riek Machar of instigating a failed coup. In August 2018, after five years of civil war, he signed a power-sharing agreement with rebel leader Machar and other opposition groups in a bid to end the brutal conflict.

Source: BBC Country Profile

South Sudan is about the size of Texas and is among the world’s poorest countries

American Embassy Juba:

We had a very homogeneous team headed up by Ambassador Reno Harnisch. Reno had been Ambassador to Azerbaijan and Kosovo as well as DCM in Cairo and Stockholm. He was from San Diego, had two Master's in Economics and International Service and spoke several languages including German, Italian, Swedish and some Arabic and Azerbaijani. Our deputy was mark Mayfield, an excellent writer and editor. Michael Hurley (PD), Deborah Klerk, POL/ECON, Lavon Sajano (DS), Shawn O'Reilly (DS) Tim Williams (IT) and Ralph Kwong, Management lead rounded out the team. The embassy operates from a USAID office compound. Embassy employee housing is mostly on a residential compound, about 500 yards from the office compound. The Ambassador was Susan Page and the newly arrived Management Officer, Nancy Brannaman had several administrative challenges.

Findings:

We had quite a few formal recommendations (44) and informal recommendations (17) particularly in staffing and Human Resources, especially since the embassy was fairly new and had been without an Ambassador and Management Officer for an extended period. needed to immediately implement plans for provision of International Cooperative and Administrative Support Services (ICASS) and disseminate management instructions and notices to staff in a timely manner. Nancy retired and is now working as a Retired Annuitant with INL.

Among the staffing issues it was recommended that incoming political/economic and public diplomacy officers to Embassy Juba have 2-year assignments, with the first year in either the Bureau of African Affairs or the Office of the Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan.

In terms of facilities, we recommended that embassy complete a risk/cost/benefit on the question of constructing an interim office building pending completion of a new embassy compound. For general services GSO needed to define its supply chain management system, including ordering, receiving, shipping, paying, and controlling, and define and enforce responsibilities, accountability, and internal controls. Also, implement a motor vehicle policy that limits drivers to 10-hour shifts and also a safety, health, and environmental management program in accordance with Department of State regulations.

In the areas of Human Resources management needed to implement a plan to align locally employed staff positions and functions, update and classify job descriptions as needed, assess workload, and establish a rational staffing pattern that meets mission requirements. They needed to implement a plan for training the main timekeeper in Juba and installing the Windows Time and Attendance program to allow Juba to report time and attendance directly to the payroll office, eliminating the need to go through Embassy Khartoum. Also, carry out an awards program that complies with Department of State regulations and hold awards ceremonies twice a year, as prescribed in the locally employed staff handbook. Lastly, implement a staff training plan. Implement an orientation program for newly arrived Americans and recently appointed locally employed staff. Also, schedule visits from the regional medical officer and regional psychiatrist.

Several recommendations in financial management concerned cashier operations including reconciling the U.S. Agency for International Development cashier accountability and close out the account with the U.S. disbursing officer. The need to designate an alternate cashier and issue a cash advance. Require American supervisors of sub cashiers, to perform unannounced cash reconciliations on a monthly or quarterly basis as required and to ensure that emergency payments over $500 are approved by the DCM. Speaking of the DCM, during the exit conference, I had quite a heated discussion with the DCM on establishing a representation plan based on promoting mission goals and objectives and allocating funds to embassy sections based on plans submitted by sections. He did not see the need for a plan or issuing a management notice describing procedures for submitting representation claims and establishing per capita limits for various types of entertainment

Highlights:

It's amazing but in the Foreign Service there are always occasions where you run into officers that you had worked with at other embassies. Meeting Tom Miller at the embassy in Juba was a surprise. Tom and I served together in Athens (1994-97) where he was DCM and one of my tennis and poker partners. He went on to become the Ambassador in Greece and Bosnia-Herzegovina. From 2010-18 Tom was President/CEO of the International Executive Service Corps, a non-profit that provides expertise to developing countries to train in best business practices. Anyway, I ran into Tom while he was working out in the gym on the compound. It just so happened that another friend, USAID colleague, Jerry Render, who I served with in Rabat (1990-94), was TDY in Juba at the time. In fact, we did manage to get a poker group together and had a great time with Tom continuing to play and winning at his favorite game 7/27.

There wasn't much to do in Juba town but we did get a chance to visit the SAB Miller brewery for a tour and tasting. The brewery actually got their water direct by pipeline from the Nile River. We were impressed with the facility and quality of the beer. It happened to be located near a potential site that the embassy and OBO were considering building a new embassy. I read later that the brewery was forced to close in 2016 due to a lack of foreign exchange. Ambassador Page was catholic and Reno, Shawn and I would go to church with her on Sunday at St. Joseph Church.

Along the River Blue Nile

Mike, Shawn, Mark, Lavon, Reno, Tim, Deborah and me taking a meal at the UN compound. Ralph must have taken the photo.

Modular housing on USAID Compound

American Club with pool and snack bar for social gatherings and where I stayed up all night to watch the Super Bowl and my 49ers lost to the Baltimore Ravens.