South Sudan, the youngest nation in the world, is again teetering on the brink of a civil war with the two rival factions in the government taking up swords. The streets of the country’s capital Juba turned into a bloody battlefield on Friday when soldiers supporting President Salva Kiir and his rival Vice-President Riek Machar fought each other. More than 150 people were killed in the heavy fighting, dealing a heavy blow to a peace deal that has until now remained largely intact though fragile. The shooting happened when Kiir and Machar were meeting at the presidential palace and what began as a minor skirmish, involving small-arms fire, quickly escalated into heavy fighting that lasted half an hour involving heavy weapons and machine guns and artillery and spread to several parts of the city.
The civil war in South Sudan started in December 2013 after Kiir sacked Machar as vice president. The conflict was fought along ethnic lines with Kiir drawing support from his Dinka tribe while Machar enjoys the support of his Nuer tribe.
Coming on the eve of the fifth independence anniversary of the country, the latest clashes point to the herculean task of making this nation work through reconciliation and peaceful coexistence. South Sudan has seen more war than peace since its independence in July, 2011. If the country hasn’t splintered since then, it’s due to the mediation efforts of African countries which brokered a peace agreement between Kiir and Machar in August last year. A unity government was installed as part of the deal, but the peace process failed to consolidate itself and make gains due to intermittent fighting between the rival groups. The latest clashes are set to further weaken the agreement unless both leaders try sincerely and strenuously to restrain their followers to prevent another escalation.
South Sudan should not be allowed to fail because that would cause bloodshed of unprecedented nature. Tens of thousands have died in more than two years of civil war, close to three million people have been forced to flee from homes, millions are surviving on emergency aid and the country’s economy is in tatters and the entire country is in ruins. The government in Juba has never been able to focus on governance since independence. The African Union and the international community must intervene to restore order. Fortunately, Kiir and Machar are exercising caution and have refrained from actions that would aggravate the tension. Both leaders said they did not know what had triggered the latest fighting and called for calm. At the same time, the clashes are an indication of the tension in their relationship.
South Sudan, the youngest nation in the world, is again teetering on the brink of a civil war with the two rival factions in the government taking up swords. The streets of the country’s capital Juba turned into a bloody battlefield on Friday when soldiers supporting President Salva Kiir and his rival Vice-President Riek Machar fought each other. More than 150 people were killed in the heavy fighting, dealing a heavy blow to a peace deal that has until now remained largely intact though fragile. The shooting happened when Kiir and Machar were meeting at the presidential palace and what began as a minor skirmish, involving small-arms fire, quickly escalated into heavy fighting that lasted half an hour involving heavy weapons and machine guns and artillery and spread to several parts of the city.
The civil war in South Sudan started in December 2013 after Kiir sacked Machar as vice president. The conflict was fought along ethnic lines with Kiir drawing support from his Dinka tribe while Machar enjoys the support of his Nuer tribe.
Coming on the eve of the fifth independence anniversary of the country, the latest clashes point to the herculean task of making this nation work through reconciliation and peaceful coexistence. South Sudan has seen more war than peace since its independence in July, 2011. If the country hasn’t splintered since then, it’s due to the mediation efforts of African countries which brokered a peace agreement between Kiir and Machar in August last year. A unity government was installed as part of the deal, but the peace process failed to consolidate itself and make gains due to intermittent fighting between the rival groups. The latest clashes are set to further weaken the agreement unless both leaders try sincerely and strenuously to restrain their followers to prevent another escalation.
South Sudan should not be allowed to fail because that would cause bloodshed of unprecedented nature. Tens of thousands have died in more than two years of civil war, close to three million people have been forced to flee from homes, millions are surviving on emergency aid and the country’s economy is in tatters and the entire country is in ruins. The government in Juba has never been able to focus on governance since independence. The African Union and the international community must intervene to restore order. Fortunately, Kiir and Machar are exercising caution and have refrained from actions that would aggravate the tension. Both leaders said they did not know what had triggered the latest fighting and called for calm. At the same time, the clashes are an indication of the tension in their relationship.
