South Sudan, the youngest nation in the world is at war again celebrated her fifth Independence Day on the 10th of July marred with gunshots, blood and wailing of innocent souls.
South Sudan is at war again just less than a month after the two warring parties agreed to end the violence that had escalated.
South Sudan broke away from Khartoum and became the youngest nation in the world but the joy of South Sudanese was short-lived as their leaders differed and went back to the bush to fight killing over 10,000 innocent civilians with women and children being the most affected.
The war was between the forces loyal to then vice president Dr. Riek Machar and those loyal to the president Salvar Kiir. A peace agreement was entered between the two leaders and a delicate normalcy took over. Problems were bound to happen as South Sudan now has two armies, one loyal to Riek Machar and another loyal to Salvar Kiir.
Over the weekend, while Machar and Kiir were at the presidential state house, war broke out in Juba between the two forces and by Monday morning, more than 250 civilians had been killed. Yesterday, a state of calm had returned on the streets but most people are still scared of venturing out.
Business people have closed down businesses as most shops were looted and property destroyed. The few available shops are selling their goods at the price that is beyond the reach of most people. Matters have been made worse with valueless South Sudanese Pound. The currency has lost value at 300 percent.
The international community is now calling on the South Sudanese leaders to put the interests of their people ahead of everything terming what is happening as efforts to serve the interests of few powerful individuals.
Last year, UN released a report that said that soldiers were allowed by the government of South Sudan to rape women and children as a reward for a ‘good fight’ against the forces allied to Riek Machar.