OPINION | Evaluating South Sudan’s strategy for pursuing national interests

The implementation of foreign policy will help promote South Sudan’s solution to the current domestic and international problems. This can entail the economic modernisation of the country to maintain international and regional peace and security, ensure respect for human rights and create an image of South Sudan as a credible participant in international relations.

At present, the evolution of foreign policy activity on the African continent is pivotal due to the potential intensification of relations in the energy and education sectors among the African states.

South Sudan’s foreign policy priorities are influenced by external determinants of a state’s relationship with a particular region of the world, modern trends in international relations, the hierarchy of contemporary international relations, and internal determinants.

The first group of factors includes South Sudan’s affiliation to the African region; increased attention to countries whose economies depend on the export of resources, regionalisation of international relations, the increasing role of security sector cooperation (the war against terrorism and piracy); the geopolitical struggle between the U.S. and China for the scope of political and economic influence in the world; and a sharp increase in the political and economic role of BRICS countries.

 The second group involves the theory of international relations, which entails the concept of foreign policy priorities, which is partly referred to as the concept of national interests. Therefore, the appropriate consideration of both concepts and defining their mutual influence are expedient for a better understanding of the concept of foreign policy priorities.

The term “national interest” is always considered in the context of the relationship and interdependence of states that can be identified as the desired conditions of international relations. 

Thus, interest and goal are a kind of cause and basis for political decisions and are situated in the analytical field of international relations (in a line with C. Wright’s concept). Since the national interest is a subjective idea, which is interpreted differently by distinctive political groups; there are several approaches:

The first system is based on the division of national interests into psychological and objective categories.

The second system involves the interpretation of national interests by representatives of political realism and representatives of liberalism. Thus, the foreign policy priorities can become priority goals – the purpose for the realisation of which the entity may abandon any other purpose at this level. Priority goals are either declared or frequently masked by the political elite.

Foreign policy priority goals are ideal goals that are associated with a specific stage of realisation of the state’s significant political goal, under specific international situational conditions.

The foreign policy priorities of the state are dictated by the necessity of the promotion of announced intrastate goals and the periodic declaration of confirmed courses of reform.

In addition, the identification of foreign policy priorities largely determines the course of foreign policy because priorities have a considerable influence on the process of making and implementing foreign policy decisions.

Foreign policy priorities resemble a pyramid, with a well-formed, broadly encompassing foreign policy priority at the top and concrete steps toward its realisation representing a country’s internal development. This is because foreign policy is based on the potential of the state, which, in turn, allows it to set priorities in the formulation and implementation of its foreign policy goals. Specific political events that have occurred during the formation and development of a state determine the level of cooperation or confrontation between states at the present moment.

For the newly formed states, one of which is South Sudan, the definition of the foreign policy priorities has enormous importance as the foreign policy priorities are the basis for the progressive development of foreign policy. It also encompasses the realisation of national interests and the intensification of cooperation with other actors of international relations.

 Considering the formation of the foreign policy priorities of South Sudan, it should be how external and internal determinants are arranged in this case. The first group of factors affects the formation of priorities as follows: Particular political importance is attached to cooperation with African countries and integration processes in Africa in the sphere of the foreign policy of South Sudan. This stems from South Sudan’s affiliation with the African region.

The United States’ support for South Sudan’s independence, as well as its mediation efforts during the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005, has now transformed into a high-value donation to cooperation with the United States. At the same time, problematic aspects (energy and security spheres) occur in relations between South Sudan and Sudan due to the controversial historical past regarding the separation of South Sudan from Sudan.

Independence on July 9, 2011, with the definition of entry to the United Nations, the African Union, and other international organisations as a “strategic priority” for South Sudan.

On July 30, 2011, the government considered its foreign policy for the first time, and in the light of historical development and national interests, outlined the significant priorities of foreign policy as follows:

Respect and adherence to the principles of international law and support of good neighbourly

joining the UN Charter, the AU and other regional and international agreements and conventions; restructuring the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and expansion of diplomatic missions of the state; attracting foreign investment; low tolerance with neighbouring countries, including Sudan; promoting African unity, solidarity, and cooperation; and striking a balance in bilateral relations with the United States and China

Article 43 of the Transitional Constitution of South Sudan indicates that a country’s foreign policy shall serve the national interest and shall be conducted independently and transparently with the view to achieving the following: Promotion of international cooperation, especially within the United Nations family, the African Union and other international and regional organizations, for the purposes of consolidating universal peace and security, respect for international law, treaty obligations and fostering a just world economic order, especially within the United Nations family. There is also the achievement of African economic integration, within the ongoing regional plans and fora, as well as promoting African unity and cooperation as foreseen in those plans; enhancement of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in regional and international contexts.