South Sudan - Beyond the Dangers of Today to the Hopes of Tomorrow

Violence and conflict in South Sudan arise from the failure of development to reconcile and manage political differences and grievances. The UNDP report concludes that conflict is development in reverse. The greatest drain on human development in South Sudan is the absence of peace.

February 24, 2016 will be remembered as a historical day for South Sudan and indeed for the East African region. On this day, Vice President James Wani Igga launched the first National Human Development Report for South Sudan with the theme "People, Peace and Prosperity." In his foreword, President Salva Kiir Mayardit affirms that the theme reflects what the South Sudanese as a people, aspire to.

For more than 50 years, the good people of this country have endured a brutal conflict that only few can even begin to imagine. Almost five years ago, against all odds, the country triumphed over marginalisation. Two years ago, the optimism of Independence and the hope for a better future suffered a setback because of conflict.

Today, the economic situation of South Sudan is not what the country aspires to. Its society is polarised and the delivery of public services is a serious challenge.

Despite these challenges, I have absolute faith in the indomitable spirit of this country and its people. If there is one thing that I have learnt from the history of our people, it is that you can never count them out. South Sudan will bounce back.

The report continues with the tradition of defining human development as a process of enlarging people's choices. Countries are compared and ranked on how they enhance three essential dimensions of their citizens' lives: Living long and healthy lives; acquiring knowledge that enhances people's lives; and enabling a decent standard of living. South Sudan was ranked for the first time as an independent country last year, and it ranked 169 out of 188, which is better than many countries, including those that have not experienced war.

The report makes a number of interesting observations and recommendations. Let me highlight six of them:

First: South Sudan can secure the future it wants. The situation South Sudan finds itself in today is a consequence of a combination of human actions that can be corrected if South Sudanese genuinely "gives peace a chance." With the right mix of policies, and a sense of purposefulness and determination similar to what got this country its Independence, South Sudan can overcome the challenges that confront it today.

Second: Violence and conflict in South Sudan arise from the failure of development to reconcile and manage political differences and grievances. The report concludes that conflict is development in reverse. The greatest drain on human development in South Sudan is the absence of peace, and this is not just in the states of Upper Nile, Jonglei and Unity; there are huge human development losses emanating from the inter-community violence spread across many parts of the country.

For instance, the potential loss in human development is 86 per cent in Unity State while it is 72 per cent in Lakes State due respectively to the recent conflict and ongoing intercommunity conflict.