EDITOR’S DESK | Celebrating South Sudan’s anniversary, sceptics aside

(Image: Paula Bronstein / Getty Images)

A year ago today, President Salva Kiir and other heads of state were celebrating South Sudan’s independence from Sudan in Juba. The occasion was celebrated by South Sudanese and many others from all corners of the globe. High spirited South Sudanese filled the streets of Juba, the capital of South Sudan, singing and dancing in elation for a dream they’ve all fought for, whether in Sudan or abroad.

During the independence celebrations that day, all of the officials – South Sudanese, Sudanese and others alike – promised a brighter future, a congenial relationship with Sudan, and immediate development for the World’s newest nation. However, one year on, things don’t seem so bright.

In its first year as an independent country, South Sudan has been plagued with corruption, disease, poverty, poor leadership, famine, illiteracy, ethnic clashes and under development. And the problems seem to be increasing. It almost seems like the dream of independence has faded away.

However, most sceptics seem to be taking things out of perspective. Before independence, South Sudan had been weighed down by decades of civil war. The first South Sudanese rebellion against the government in the north started in 1955, ended in 1973; and started again in 1983, only to end in 2005 with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between the SPLM and the Sudanese government. This is the main reason behind the lack of state institutions and infrastructure in the south, which eventually lead to the aforementioned problems.

Another point to consider is that South Sudan gained its independence from a third world country already beleaguered by poverty, famine and corruption. Most African countries have gained independence from European countries that made it a point to establish the necessary state institutions and infrastructure for commerce and administration. And yet, to this day, a lot of these countries suffer from the same famine and poverty we associate with South Sudan.

Yes, the responsibility of running the country should be given to South Sudan’s government and its people, but we also have to assess the role that the self-proclaimed saviours like the United Nations Mission In South Sudan (UNMISS) and African Union (AU) have played. And in comparison, Sudan – South Sudan’s 56 year old sister – is doing just as bad, if not worse – taking into account that Sudan was a “country” before the secession of the south.

So in order for one to justly criticize the so called tragic state of affairs in South Sudan a year after independence, one must look back in history and accurately assess each of the other 192 countries in the world one year after their independence, which countries they gained independence from and under what conditions. Of course there’s a lot of room for improvement, but we must not sit back and criticize out of context. As a concerned Sudanese, I am celebrating South Sudan’s one year anniversary with as much optimism as I celebrated their well deserved independence a year ago, and so should you. Happy Birthday South Sudan.