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South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir pledged peace pledges on Friday as the country marks a troubled 10 years of independence, with little reason to rejoice in the face of chronic instability and a severe crisis food.
At midnight on July 9, 2011, loud celebrations erupted as the world’s youngest nation was born and the people of South Sudan applauded the end of a decades-long struggle for Sudanese independence.
But the party was short-lived.
Barely two years later, South Sudan was at war with itself, the task of building a forgotten nation as its liberators tore the country apart, dashing expectations of a bright future.
Almost 400,000 people died and four million people displaced before a ceasefire was declared in 2018.
Today, the country is more fragile than ever, beset by famine, political insecurity, economic ruin and natural disasters.
“I assure you that I will not take you back to war again. Let us work together to recover the lost decade and put our country back on the path of development in this new decade,” Kiir said in a televised address marking this milestone.
He hailed a “new spirit of dialogue” between political rivals and said the transitional government of national unity would focus on economic reforms and improving security.
Map of South Sudan. By (AFP) But on Friday there was no jubilation that greeted the state, except for a fun run through the capital which drew some 10,000 people and was cheered by Kiir’s nemesis and now Vice President Riek Machar.
Kiir had warned this week that the cash-strapped state was unable to cheer, accusing international sanctions of keeping prosperity out of reach.
“Lost decade”
South Sudan is reeling from the economic chaos, with soaring inflation and a currency crisis, and facing its worst food crisis since independence.
Conflict, drought, flooding and a record locust plague have ruined crops and left 60 percent of the population, including millions of children, facing severe food shortages.
Among them, 108,000 are on the verge of famine, according to the World Food Program (WFP).
The South Sudan Council of Churches has described the past 10 years as “a lost decade”, a by-product of self-sabotage.
Thousands of people celebrated South Sudan’s independence in July 2011, but the celebrations were short-lived. By Roberto SCHMIDT (AFP / File) “This must not be another wasted decade! This is an opportunity to save our people from imposed misery and maintain their livelihoods,” he said in a statement.
The international community has called on the once belligerent rulers of the oil-rich country to keep their pledge to the 12 million people.
“The journey from war to peace has been long and difficult and there is still a lot to be done for people to exercise the democratic right they won ten years ago,” said Nicholas Haysom, head of the UN mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), said in a statement.
Pope Francis and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby issued a similar message, saying the people of South Sudan continue to live in fear and uncertainty.
South Sudan still faces many obstacles in achieving peace and prosperity.
These include the absence of a unified security force, widespread insecurity linked to inter-community conflicts and crime due to poverty.
‘Never too late’
South Sudan enjoyed immense international goodwill and billions of dollars in support when its people voted overwhelmingly in a 2011 referendum to secede from the north.
But its leaders have failed to stem corruption, and the new South Sudan has been plundered rather than rebuilt, as huge sums of money from its vast oil fields have been embezzled and wasted.
The political leaders who led South Sudan to independence – and then to war – remain in power today, in power in a tenuous coalition forged under a peace accord.
The power-sharing deal between South Sudanese President Salva Kiir (right) and Vice President Riek Machar has kept the fighting largely at bay since 2018. By ALEX MCBRIDE (AFP / File) The power-sharing agreement between Kiir, a former military commander of the Dinka ethnic group, and Machar, a rebel leader of the Nuer people, has kept fighting between their forces largely at bay since the ceasefire in 2018. However, fighting continues in ungoverned areas. .
But former enemies have violated past truces and progress on the latest deal has drifted, stoking mistrust between the two and raising fears of a return to fighting.
The “unity” government they formed late in February 2020 under great international pressure is weak and the guarantees to prevent another war have not been put in place.
“Despite some lost opportunities, it is never too late to revitalize the peace process so that humanitarian aid is more effective and the conditions are created for development activities to have a wider and greater impact.” , said Matthew Hollingworth, WFP director for South Sudan.
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