The South Sudan Independence: Reactions to the creation of the worlds newest country

On the 9th of July 2011 a new country was born in Sub-Saharan Africa. This country has become the 193 member of the United Nations and is the newest republic in the world. The name of this country is South Sudan. South Sudan was formerly part of Sudan but voted for independence and separation from the North of Sudan in January of 2011. Elections were held in January to determine if the south should separate from the north after over four decades of conflict and wars. Results of the elections showed that an overwhelming majority of 98% of South Sudanese believed that the south should separate from the north and become an independent government.  On the 9th of July 2011, this became a reality for millions of South Sudanese in Sub-Saharan Africa and reactions to this new development have been swift and interesting. There has been jubilation on the streets of Sudan because many believe that this is the beginning of a new page for the people who have been oppressed for several years by North Sudan. It is a time of excitement for many Sudanese around the world especially those who live in the Arab world. 

     

There are still problems in the relationship between the north and the south especially when the topic of Oil is brought up. These problems have to be addressed at some point in the future with the help of the governments and politicians.  Another point of view that should be highlighted is that it is in a way sad that the country of Sudan could not resolve their national problems diplomatically. It could be said that it is sad that to have peace in Sudan, there had to be a separation. It could also be said that it was a failure on the part of the north, having failed to bring peace between the two sides; the north simply didn’t offer the south anything that would have resolved their differences.  The question therefore arises; what can be done to make Sudan a better place to live in? Over the past decades, years of war and conflict has given Sudan a history of Violence, deaths, starvation and poverty. Sudan is currently one of the least developed places in the world. So, given the recent development and support by the International community, what can be done by the rest of the world to ensure that other areas of Sudan where there are conflicts don’t decide on a separation themselves, and what can be done to increase the standard of living in North and South Sudan? What can people do to make sure that the breakup of Sudan doesn’t continue or accelerate to other areas of north and south Sudan?

Firstly, this is the time to bring together the cultures and people of Sudan, especially when taking into consideration the effects of racism and discrimination with in the country. The Sudanese people need to take the good out of the current changes that are taking place around them. Change is a phenomenon that happens over the course of time, and with recent events in Sudan, there are going to be major changes in the way trade and business is done to the way education, food and natural resources are produced.  However, it is unlikely that the government of Sudan has a plan or blueprint for the future. It is unlikely, because the government in Sudan didn’t learn from the years of war and civil unrest that goes back to the 1950s. If they didn’t have a plan for the future of Sudan for the past five decades, then it is unlikely that they have learnt anything that would translate into the birth of a new future for the people of Sudan, even though the wars and conflicts has given birth to a new nation.

Secondly, the United Nations has promised to give South Sudan $83 million. This is a drop in the ocean in regards to the financial aid that South Sudan needs to govern itself. There are women who were born in war times, got married in war times, gave birth to children in war times and have educated their children through war times. $83 million will help several communities in Sudan, but it won’t do the job of providing good education, structural reforms, good roads and houses and electricity and power. There are no roads in South Sudan, no infrastructure and there is a lack of basic necessities. There are no jobs but there is still hope of a bright future. The international community has to come together to ensure that the youngest country in the world doesn’t remain the poorest and the suffer the consequences of a war torn government.