South Sudan Five Vice Presidents and the Political Economy: Assessing the Fiscal and Institutional Costs of Transitional Power-Sharing in the World’s Youngest Nation

Publication Details

Publication Date

10/10/2026

Volume / Issue

Vol 1, Issue 5 (2026)

Article No.

083

Journal

British Journal of Contemporary Research

DOI

https://doi.org/10.67693/BJCR-7AIARCUF

Received

28 Sep 2026

Views

35

Downloads

14

Abstract

The transitional government of South Sudan formed an exceptionally expanded executive power-sharing framework that includes a president, one first vice president, and four other vice presidents as per the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS). The arrangement was primarily created to accommodate competing political opponents, reduce the risk of renewed conflict, and facilitate the execution of the peace agreement. This article analyzes the financial and organizational consequences of that arrangement without presuming that the mere presence of vice presidents led to South Sudan’s economic issues. The research employs a qualitative case-study approach that integrates structured documentary analysis with a descriptive evaluation of publicly accessible fiscal information from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the approved budget documents of South Sudan. The documents were chosen for their clear relevance to the transitional executive, public spending, oil reliance, fiscal oversight, and governance after conflict. The examination is directed by three interrelated concepts: power-sharing and post-conflict stability, political-economy perspectives on elite motivations and rent-seeking behavior, and opportunity-cost assessment of limited public resources. The data indicates that the financial problem extends beyond the wages of five officials. In the approved budget for FY2023/24, the Ministry of Presidential Affairs received around SSP 32.18 billion, whereas the IMF indicated total projected expenditure of SSP 1,971.3 billion for that fiscal year. Consequently, the presidential ministry accounted for approximately 1.6% of the expenditure envelope reported by the IMF, though this number should not be viewed as the expense for the five vice-presidential offices, as the ministry encompasses functions beyond just those offices. According to the study's findings, a shift away from elite-centered power-sharing toward leaner institutions, better public financial management, accountability, economic diversification, and investment in productive sectors is necessary for South Sudan's long-term economic recovery.

License

This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . Free to read, share, and adapt with attribution.