It is difficult for democracy to flourish in the midst of poverty, the Episcopal Bishop of Akot Diocese Isaac Dhieu said, in calling on officials to focus on development in South Sudan.

“The issue of reforms, it is very, very difficult or actually impossible to have a thriving democracy when there is so much poverty,” he said. “You cannot have serious democratic tenets and all the values that hinge on democracy to be followed to the letter if you have poverty, hunger and all that challenges that we have in our country.”

Dhieu said that in the midst of poverty, people try to take advantage of each other, rather than promoting development for everyone. Leaders “would want to abuse those underprivileged people,” he said. “Leaders know that it is from the position of the disadvantaged that they continue to be advantaged.”

“For instance, if everyone has enough food, it means some people will not be able to go to the poor people during campaigns and say, ‘We will give you food.’ And other political parties will not go to these poor people and say, ‘We will give you this an that.’”