Gov’t wrongly states country ‘became an independent state in 2012’ in new report

JUBA – South Sudan government has wrongly said, in a report released Tuesday by the National Security Service (NSS) on who started the deadly conflict in 2013, that the country became an independent nation in 2012.

President Salva Kiir had directed the National Security Service to release the report the government says details all the events leading up to the outbreak of violence in Juba in December 2013.

The report says South Sudan became an independent country in 2012 and said tensions leading up to the conflict was driven largely by desire of then vice-president Dr. Riek Machar for presidency.

“South Sudan became an independent state in 2012, having been forged out of conflict, with all the component elements of conflict remaining within its borders,” the report made public by the NSS Tuesday said.

“It did not take long before tensions between Vice-President Riek Machar and President Kiir rose, driven largely by Riek Machar’s desire to become the next President of South Sudan and his vocal criticism of President Kiir,” it added.

It says “tensions were heightened by the scheduling of national elections due to be held on 9 July 2015. Suggestions that President Kiir may step down after the 2015 elections led to others positioning themselves as next in line.”