The ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to South Sudan, Amb. Tobias Eichner is winding up his two-year tour of duty come September.
In an exclusive interview with Radio Tamazuj which touched on a wide range of issues, Amb Tobias said the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement and getting South Sudan out of the current political quagmire does not necessarily require money but ultimately firm political decisions.
Following are edited excerpts:
Q: How would you describe the relationship between Germany and South Sudan?
A: Thank you very much for having me. I am very happy about this opportunity to talk to you and also to speak to your listeners of course.
Well, you know, this is not a new relationship. It is actually much older than the Republic of South Sudan since we had relations with the former Sudan already, and in that capacity, of course, links to the southern part of former Sudan. It all started at least in the 1970s, when GIZ, as it’s called today, came to Wau and to other places where there were hospitals for leprosy patients. That was somehow the beginning but it has been there ever since the 1970s. So, even in very difficult, very trying times, German institutions have never entirely left the country and we have been here with all kinds of projects, development cooperation, and other kinds of projects.
Twelve years ago, when South Sudan became independent, we were one of the first countries to recognize South Sudan diplomatically and politically and since then we have had this embassy where I am right now. The embassy has grown and there are more staff now than two years ago when I came. I think this already says a lot about the relationship. We are very much interested in South Sudan and want to keep the good relations between our two countries. If I look back at the two years that I spent here in South Sudan, when I look at the bilateral visits, there was quite a remarkable number that we had from Germany last year. The deputy foreign minister came and she met His Excellency the president (Salva Kiir), she met many other people and she visited a lot of projects that we are funding here. I think that was a very successful visit. Earlier this year, in April, we had the Commissioner of the German Government for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Assistance who came here. She met several government officials, including the foreign minister. She went to Bentiu to visit projects implemented by our partners from the United Nations. We had other high-ranking political visitors. There were also visits which is very good. Just a few weeks ago, the Chief whip of the SPLM in parliament, Hon. Rebecca Joshua Okwachi, was head of the delegation of the South Sudanese team that went to the special games that took place in Berlin in June. The South Sudanese team won two bronze medals and a silver medal, which I think is really a great success.
I think this is really what is important and what counts, these exchanges, and that people from all walks of life are able to meet. It is not always easy, there is a long distance and there are other obstacles, but this is important. So, I think there is a relationship between the two countries that we can continue to build on and work together. It has been successful, not always without any problems, but that is not the point. What is important is that we are in contact and that we work together and that we somehow come to good results together.
Q: Ambassador, let’s look at some of the projects that Germany has been able to implement in South Sudan. What are the impacts of these projects on the people?
A: Let me start with the latter part of your question, the impact. The impact on the ground is always very often a little bit difficult to measure. I think the success of the impact is the overall development of the country. Will it be possible to implement the revitalized peace agreement, the Road Map? Will there be free and fair elections at the end of this process? These are, I think, important milestones and if they can be done successfully, then somehow the overall endeavor is also successful.
Let me maybe also say a bit more concrete things about what we are doing here. We are now in the field of humanitarian assistance, the second biggest donor and we do this because we think that it is our duty to help people who are in a desperate situation and who can no longer meet their basic needs themselves.
In the field of humanitarian assistance, we work very closely with the agencies of the United Nations, be it WFP, UNHCR, IOM, OCHA, UNICEF, you name them. Moneywise, that is the bulk of our engagement, which is roughly USD 80 million per year and this is what we are doing. We do not do this because we are very keen on this kind of assistance, humanitarian assistance. It is something that we need to do, and of course, it is our idea and I am sure it is also the idea of our South Sudanese partners to move on and to contribute to creating a situation where humanitarian assistance is not needed any longer. We are, unfortunately, not quite there yet, but this is the idea.
Q: What is this USD 80 million meant for? Is it for humanitarian assistance in terms of food or development projects?
A: That is not development. Development is extra if you will. Development is not part of this amount of money. We are doing development in certain areas of the country. Development cooperation is at the moment not possible everywhere. We look very closely at the situation on the ground. We are working with our state implementing agencies, which are the GIZ and KfW. We are implementing projects where this is possible. For example in Northern Bahr el Ghazal which is a relatively quiet and stable area. Also, in the very south, for example in Yei, GIZ, and KfW are active with projects. For example, one big project area is water. We are facing a situation where people do not have access to drinking water in many parts of the country. And so, together with UNICEF, we are working to build water treatment plants here in Juba, but also in Yei, Yambio, and Torit.
I went to Yei earlier this year to inaugurate one of these plants together with the honorable minister of water. Building water treatment facilities and infrastructure is an important part of our development cooperation. The other thing is the combination of food security and agricultural development, one very important part which is being implemented by GIZ in Northern Bahr el Ghazal and the Equatorias. It is the combination of immediate assistance, which is very often done by UN agencies, WFP, IOM, and others, together with more long-term measures that help people to become more self-sufficient and resilient to crises. For example, with seeds, tools, training, knowledge, and skills we try to equip people so that they can have a higher yield of vegetables and sorghum. This is the idea that is somehow complementary to more short-term, medium measures.
Last but not least, we have a new initiative also implemented by GIZ which is to improve further rural development. That means engaging with individual communities on the ground and enabling them to formulate their own development plans. This means that they can become clear about their specific needs and identify them. And then we want to enable them to find, adapt and prioritize solutions through Boma or Payam-level development committees. This is where GIZ I said assists people.
And so the idea is to somehow improve rural development so that, as I said, the outcome in food production, for example, is increasing on a sustainable level. That is the idea.
Q: What role is Germany playing in the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement?
A: I would like to start by saying that our idea of being in South Sudan, of working together with the government, and last but not least with the people and the civil society in this country, is to form a partnership of equals. A partnership of equals in the sense that both sides benefit from it. That also means that both sides have obligations. We are committed to honor our obligations and we also expect, of course, from the South Sudanese side to honor their commitments. I think this is an indispensable part of a partnership of equals.
As everyone knows, the Road Map was signed a year ago by the most important political groups in this country. But I think I am not telling a secret if I say that signing alone is not enough. The agreement must now be implemented jointly and in close cooperation with all those that have signed it. It must be implemented in letter and in spirit. Much has already been done. That is very good, but at the same time, I think again it is not a secret when I say that crucial steps are still missing. For example, South Sudan needs unified security forces. As long as there are several armies in one country, there can be no peace in the long run. Nor can there be peaceful and fair elections.
It is important that those peaceful and fair elections will be recognized by all political forces, not only by the winners. This is what we are working for and what we want to support with our friends in the international community and, of course, first of all with our friends here in South Sudan. I am sure that the goal of the government, the goal of the people of South Sudan, and also the goal of the international community is to support and implement this peace agreement within the time frame that has been decided upon, about a year ago, when the road map was adopted.
Q: The government has been complaining about the lack of resources to implement this revitalized peace agreement. That is why I am specifically asking whether Germany has given a certain amount of money for the implementation of the peace agreement.
A: The implementation of the peace agreement like so many other things is always also a question of money. But I would like to say that, I think when we talk about the peace agreement, we are not first and foremost talking about money. We are talking about a very much-needed political decision at the moment. If you look at the state of implementation, where do we stand? What needs to be done? Then we are talking about pending political decisions, for example, the National Elections Act and other laws and bills that must be adopted according to the Road Map by parliament, the government, by other bodies. So, this is not primarily a question of money right now.
This is a question of going forward and taking the political decisions and implementing them. I think it is a bit dangerous in this context to talk about money all the time. Again, money is needed also for these kinds of decisions, that is clear, but that is not, you know, the big money. That is something that can be done. What is lacking at the moment, I think in various fields, are political decisions that enable the move forward.
As far as our role is concerned, we are supporting South Sudan in the implementation of the peace agreement. You have heard of the Max Planck Foundation which is a German institution that has a lot of experience and knowledge when it comes to constitution-making, reforms of the judiciary, adopting laws, and how to do parliamentary work. This foundation is funded by the EU and in some other projects by Germany and this is something we offer. But it is not a political role. That is knowledge and experience that they can share, that they have gathered, not primarily in Europe or in Germany, but here in the region, in Kenya and other African countries. This is something that I think we can offer, and we will offer it as long as it is wanted and requested. And I think the colleagues from the Max Planck Foundation are doing a very good job and this is one element that we try to support in very concrete terms, this peace process.
Q: Has Germany’s expectations of South Sudan changed since after independence?
A: I think for everyone here in South Sudan, independence meant that a dream has come true. Independence is not only an event, it is also a process. I think what we have seen in the past 12 years is that you cannot say okay, the job is done, mission completed, once independence had been achieved. It is something where the actual work has only just started. Then there were many setbacks and many problems. So, for me, it is not so much about the question of what Germany expects. I do not think we have many expectations of any country in the world. We always hope for the best and take what comes, let us say, and we try to make the best of it.
As far as South Sudan is concerned, and as I said already, we support the implementation of the agreement with great conviction and we expect the political forces in this country to assume their responsibility. That means that they do everything to lay the foundation for a better future for the people of South Sudan, through the implementation of the agreement. This is what it is about and we do not interfere in the implementation as such because that would be counterproductive and that is not our role.
I already spoke about the Max Planck Foundation. This is something that we offer but we do not see any political role for ourselves. We are engaging in this country because I think it is our duty to help those people who are in a very bad situation and who cannot help themselves anymore.
This is one thing, but let me also say we are not a charity. We are not doing this because we are better people than others, certainly not. It is because we have our interests. We have our reasons why we are here, we want to help the people, as I said, but also our own interests. Look at the neighboring countries. Look at what is going on right now in this region. Look to the north, look a bit further west now. This is something that is not in our interest. I can tell you that we want to contribute to a peaceful and prosperous development here in South Sudan because we think that people want it, we think that people deserve it. But again, also because it is in our own interest.
Q: Apart from giving humanitarian aid and helping in terms of development, what other interests does Germany have in the region?
A: Well, our interest, I pointed it out already in my previous sentences. Our interest is, for example, stability in the region. We are seeing what is going on in other countries. I think everyone knows which countries I am talking about, and this is of course, I think a very bad scenario. Anyone in the South Sudanese government would agree with me if I might say that what is going on in the north at the moment is something that poses a great threat to South Sudan and to other countries.
Also, for us, this is a development that is not very welcome, to say the least, and we have now seen the coup in another country at the end of July, which is also a very unfortunate development. This is against our interests. We want a prosperous, stable development here in Eastern Africa, the Horn of Africa, and all over Africa. We can only make relatively small contributions, but we are trying to make our contributions together with our partners and friends and together with the United Nations. I said the South Sudanese people embarked on this way at independence 12 years ago. Not everything went perfectly fine since then but I think we have no alternative but to look forward and to try to move on and we are prepared to make our contribution.
Let me also say this, we can make a contribution, but we are not in the driver’s seat, the South Sudanese people and the South Sudanese government are in the driver’s seat. They are responsible. And at the end of the day, no matter which country in the world, it all comes down to governance. And what is important is a responsible government. What is important is ownership at all state levels, national, sub-state level, and sub-national, and no matter what level, this is what counts. This is not sufficient alone but without it, without responsibility, without ownership, all other attempts, all other projects and all other kinds of assistance will be in vain in the longer run, If it is not something that is accepted and followed up upon by those who are in charge and who are in the driver’s seat.
Something very important, and I say this also to ourselves, I think sometimes, let us say donors, if I may use this word, are carried away a bit by their own role or supposed importance. I think we have to make sure that we always very clearly see what we can do and where we can make a contribution and where our possibilities end and where the responsibility of others begins. Maybe this is something that we can pull up a bit better in the future.