Four years ago, after two devastating civil wars, South Sudan won its independence from Khartoum. It is now discovering that building a new country is just as hard as creating one. Quarrelling political leaders sparked a paroxysm of violence, which they continue to stoke. More than 50,000 people have been killed [1]and millions[2] have fled. The escalating brutality, including atrocities such as the slaughter of unborn children and the castration of young boys, is a warning that worse may lie ahead.
Related: 'I'm tired of losing my people': South Sudan's refugees on four years of independence[3]
Most international voices have not got beyond the pious but less than useful sentiment “Why can’t they all just get along?” What little attention South Sudan[4] has so far received has been shaped by humanitarians and addressed to symptoms not causes. Having played an integral role in the inception of the new state, the west – now sanctioning a few commanders and debating an arms embargo – struggles to find a remedy.
That state was misconceived. The people of South Sudan remain deeply troubled by their constitution. The army swelled, without unified command, and the ruling party remained unreformed from the days of revolution. It had little to offer the people. Society is now bitterly divided, even between communities still at peace. Yet there is a deep yearning for national dialogue, expressed by the churches, elders, women’s groups, thinktanks and even apparatchiks.
In this atmosphere, every incitement is more deadly and every act of moral courage more precious. The main peace process, directed by a regional group, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, has never begun to properly address South Sudan’s predicament.
The fragmented nature of the country is especially unsuited to a top-down approach. And South Sudan’s neighbours are especially unsuited to administer it. Uganda and Sudan, in particular, must be persuaded to draw back and allow South Sudan a life of its own.External mediation would be best led by an eminent African mandated by the UN.
The UN has saved tens of thousands of lives by offering sanctuary to people fleeing persecution, but has yet to find a moral voice and a political strategy. As for the African Union[5], it commissioned, and then buried, an inquiry into atrocities. The truth must be published for the country to move forward. But it would be wise not to paint anyone into a corner. President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar must instead be persuaded that they have a last opportunity to shape their legacy. And the country must draw the right lessons about the nature of political competition and how to accommodate it.
The shortcomings of the liberation movement cast a long shadow. It can only be escaped through a political opening. Given the chance, the people of South Sudan could provide that opening by embarking on a truly serious conversation on the country’s political future. After all the international incantation about “capacity”, some South Sudanese have learned to talk themselves down.
In truth, their capability has not been fathomed. If space could be created for internal mediation, the churches and others would rise to the occasion. South Sudan’s state will be brutal and weak or it will be inclusive and strong. It is time to say, in the words of Isaiah: “Come, let us reason the matter together.”
References
- ^ 50,000 people have been killed (reliefweb.int)
- ^ millions (www.unhcr.org)
- ^ 'I'm tired of losing my people': South Sudan's refugees on four years of independence (www.theguardian.com)
- ^ South Sudan (www.theguardian.com)
- ^ African Union (www.theguardian.com)
Newer articles:
- A Somber Anniversary in South Sudan - 13/07/2015 15:07
- Ban urges South Sudan leaders to ‘give up war’ and forge a political agreement - 13/07/2015 14:40
- Displaced South Sudanese ‘forced to eat grass’ to survive - 13/07/2015 10:15
- Conflict Stifles South Sudan’s Oil Industry - 13/07/2015 09:29
- Four Years After Independence Donors Must Commit to South Sudan - 12/07/2015 17:26
Older news items
- South Sudan State to Bar UN Official Over Rights Report - 12/07/2015 12:37
- Official: South Sudan to bar UN official over rights report - 12/07/2015 11:24
- S. Sudan Presidential Mandate Extension - Constitutional? - 10/07/2015 18:00
- How South Sudan's Conflict Is Killing Women Far From The Battlefield - 10/07/2015 12:59
- Inside A South Sudanese Maternity Ward - 10/07/2015 09:04
Latest news items (all categories):
- UN experts say South Sudan is close to securing a $13 billion oil-backed loan from a UAE company - 18/05/2024 11:54
- DRC, South Sudan units top Equity’s earnings in first quarter - 18/05/2024 11:49
- Innuendos and tittle tattle of Kiir's regime - 18/05/2024 11:44
- South Sudan government, rebel groups sign pact to achieve lasting peace - 18/05/2024 09:58
- إلى متى ينظر الجميع إلى الفيل و يطعنون ظله..؟ - 15/05/2024 21:51
Random articles (all categories):
- UN chief in S. Sudan to urge for peace - 06/05/2014 12:00
- Can South Sudan change its approach to politics? - 17/03/2020 01:13
- SPLM 2nd Convention: Nothing new was achieved - 03/06/2008 12:19
- South Sudan shuts down oil production - 24/01/2012 01:06
- South Sudan: A Tumultuous Mixture of Raw Human Hatreds (2) - 26/06/2013 12:30
Popular articles:
- Who is the darkest person in the world, according to Guinness World Record? - 25/10/2022 02:34 - Read 35536 times
- No oil in troubled waters - 25/03/2014 15:02 - Read 21875 times
- School exam results in South Sudan show decline - 01/04/2012 17:58 - Read 20767 times
- NDSU student from South Sudan receives scholarship - In-Forum - 29/09/2012 01:44 - Read 17452 times
- With prisons full, South Sudan to introduce mobile courts to clear backlog of cases - 11/10/2012 11:29 - Read 14236 times