Can South Sudan become the home for citizens again?
May 15, 2024
Kiir became the first president after the 2011 independence and the SPLA was made the national regular army to defend and protect the country and its people.
In 2011, South Sudan was officially declared a new and independent African country. AFP photo
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By Ibrahim Ruhweza
Before South Sudan was carved from Sudan, some patriotic leaders, led by John Garang (RIP) formed the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) in 1983.
However, the dream of seeing an independent South Sudan by Garang with his own eyes was in 2005 cut shot after he died in a helicopter crash while returning from a visit to Uganda. Salva Kiir was immediately chosen to take on the mantle of fighting for the country’s independence.
The struggle continued until 2011 when South Sudan was officially declared a new and independent African country.
Kiir became the first president after the 2011 independence and the SPLA was made the national regular army to defend and protect the country and its people.
Since then, the youngest country has experienced political instabilities and tribal wars.
Many nationals decided to flee from their homes, moving to neighbouring countries in search of safe havens. The fighting between hungry politicians has thwarted economic development. The country has poor infrastructure, and its leaders have often been accused of corruption.
The internally displaced people have lost the heart of patriotism, and they still believe their original home cannot come to peace given the prevailing factors on the ground.
For any developing nation, this is more of a misfortune when the home people shy away from contributing towards economic growth. Rather, they choose to loot and build mansions and sound businesses in places that are not of their origins.
Wrong perception
Google, which stores every kind of information (history and present), is unaware of the new South Sudan. It only brings back the past. The people who have never stepped into South Sudan or never taken time to find out how the country is progressing or changing could be thinking otherwise.
Since 2011, South Sudan has gone through a lot, forgetting its harsh climate and the endless wars that left it unproductive. The country is now stabilizing.
It took us about six hours from Nimule to reach Juba city, but along the way, we found Riachwa town, which was fully demolished, and many cars burnt down. That was the place with many people living together; due to wars, all fled from.
From Madi Pangeri, a place with very many burnt cars, to Dereto Primary School, which was also demolished, up to Dongolobo, everything appears in a surreal state. All those places had people living there, given the evidence of burned cars and demolished houses.
Lively communities begin to surface at Ayii village, and after many kilometers of driving, an active school, Juba Academy Secondary School, is seen.
Given the indicators of war spills, people appear determined to begin a new life. None of them would love to talk about the past, only the present.
Before the trip, like several others, I thought South Sudan was undeveloped with hostile communities.
In a bid to challenge myself, I travelled to South Sudan using road transport. Upon driving off from Nimule, all that could be seen were houses long deserted or dilapidated; the rest are dry lands and short trees. There are hardly any birds in the sky, and no one can explain.
My six days in Juba
My six days in Juba greatly changed the perception I had of the world’s youngest country. There is evidence that South Sudan is growing. People are beginning to understand and appear to have forged ways of settling disputes internally rather than spreading them to neighbouring communities.
I spoke to some of the high-profile leaders at the ministerial positions in the government of South Sudan (GOSS).
They are highly motivated to change the country into a newly developed one. The new rules welcome and respect everyone. Currently, Juba, the capital city, is more of a united nation because it hosts at least all people from different parts of the world.
Some have come to do business, as have tourists. Other groups are there for research and humanitarian purposes.
The natives are copying how other countries solve their disputes internally and bringing similar tricks home. It's working for them, given the recent image of the city; it's developing at a high rate.
The recreational facilities allow youth time for leisure, exercise, and harnessing their talents. The national playground is promising, and the sports sector is growing in the pipeline.
Tourism and hotels
Juba, the youngest city in the world, also has world-class five-star hotels that can keep or host international visitors. Hotels such as the Pyramid Continental Hotel, Panorama International Hotel, Raddison Blu Hotel, Crown Hotel Juba, landmark hotel, Concord and Imperial Hotel Resort, and Royal Hotel are some of the best.
The transport system defines any developing place. Before all the uprisings, the country had only 25km of tarmacked roads; today, it has over 300 km, and it is still adding more.
More investors are beginning to show signs that the country is becoming peaceful. The local investors, too, are returning home because they now have hope that their country is settling.
For all these reasons, South Sudan can be the home of its people and other nationals again.
What ought to be done?
Sudan has no good roads yet, but since it is now regarded as a basket market for the region, constructing them to a given standard will be the most appropriate thing. Others are boosting security, maintaining a constant power supply, and achieving the long-term goal of planting trees all over the city.
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