By Bida Elly David
South Sudan has expressed readiness to join BRICS union in a quest to strengthen its position towards economic growth and political stability.
BRICS, which consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, is a union established in 2001 with the aim of boosting economic and political relations between the member states.
South Sudan, as the youngest nation on the planet has grown thirsty to join the world’s giants in a quest to improve its ailing economy.
President Salva Kiir Mayardit was extended an olive branch when he attended this year’s BRICS summit held in South Africa, recently.
The president was accompanied by a few of his cabinet ministers, including the acting foreign affairs minister.
Speaking to No. 1 Citizen Daily Newspaper yesterday, the acting minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, Hon. Deng Dau Deng said joining the Union would help South Sudan revamp its broken economy.
“South Sudan, since independence, has been experiencing quite a number of challenges from various multilateral levels, such as the sanctions for the last seven years,” Dau pointed out.
He said, BRICS will be an opportunity for South Sudan to be able to undertake issues and matters related to development and security threats in a fair way.
He underlined that the sanctions imposed on South Sudan have affected the country’s economic and development sectors.
The acting foreign affairs minister noted that the sanction has become a new tool of colonialism against the young nation.
Dau reiterated that joining the BRICS as a non-aligned union would provide a ground for South Sudan’s issues to be addressed without external intervention.
BRICS, like the non-align movement, provides a ground on which states can address their issues in a mutual way rather than feeling like a certain class state,”
The minister hinted that South Sudan, as a young nation, has a lot of potential amid economic growth and a greater chance of expansion after joining the BRICS.
“We have potential in agriculture, mineral development, and human capital, which is human development,” he said. “Every year, South Sudan produces over 50,000 graduates from universities, and this is the development we want”.
Acting Minister Dau further added that becoming a member of the BRICS would enable South Sudanese graduates to be marketed for global employment opportunities.
“The objectives of BRICS are very clear. They want to work on the ground of no domination by other nations while also working on accelerating growth in various areas,” Mr. Dau lamented.
Hon. Deng Dau updated the South African, Indian, and Chinese Ambassadors to South Sudan over the weekend on the outcomes of the recent BRICS Summit in South Africa in a series of separate meetings on Saturday upon his return from Pretoria.
He commended the South African government for hosting this year’s historic BRICS summit as an African country.
Dau also acknowledged President Ramaphosa’s invitation and reception accorded to President Salva Kiir in South Africa during a meeting with Ambassador, Mahlodi Sam Muofhf.
“BRIC”, or “the BRICs”, was coined in 2001 by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O’Neill to describe fast-growing economies that he predicted would collectively dominate the global by 2050 and boost political and cultural relations among countries.