South Sudan's problems not over yet: NGO

It was in 2011 when South Sudan was created as an independent state after being separated from Sudan.

For the last four years the country has been plunged into a deep humanitarian crisis since a civil war started in 2013 when President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of attempting a coup.

Executive Director at the Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation (CEPO), Edmund Yakani highlights the financial implications of the war in South Sudan.  

“We are trying to add a dollar figure to the current war in South Sudan. We have found that if the war continues in South Sudan for the next five years we will lose between $22 and 28 billion in revenue. As you know South Sudan’s life blood is oil and currently we are not producing any oil. The South Sudanese government is spending $60 billion on security. This war has not only affected people in South Sudan but also our neighbours including Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda and Sudan.”     

Yakani says they hope that South African Development Community (SADC) countries like South Africa will be able to play  their part in stopping the war in South Sudan.

"South Sudan's problems will not go away soon. The guns will keep on working and the bullets will keep on flying. We need countries like South Africa and the African Union (AU) to put their heads together and find a long lasting solution to South Sudan. We are hoping that businesses will come forward and forge partnerships so that we can rebuild South Sudan's economy."