US reiterates support for South Sudan as country turns 11

JUBA – The United States of America has reiterated its support for the people of South Sudan after the world’s youngest country turned eleven years on Saturday, urging the country’s leaders to build a unified security sector to enable respect for human rights.

South Sudan on Saturday marked eleven years since it gained its independence from neighboring Sudan, but opposition leaders such as Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin say that there is almost nothing to celebrate a decade down the road despite the promises of peace during the liberation struggle.

In a statement, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken congratulated the people of South Sudan on the independence anniversary and reiterated his country’s support for the people of South Sudan which has been in war since just two years of independence.

“On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I congratulate the people of South Sudan on eleven years of independence,” Blinken said in a statement on Saturday.

“The United States stands with the people of South Sudan. We are committed to working with the transitional government, a free and open civil society, and regional and international partners to create a pathway towards a democratic future,” he added.

‘UNITED SECURITY SERVICE’

Blinken said that the United States support efforts of South Sudan to build lasting peace, and urged the leaders of South Sudan to create necessary conditions for respect of human rights and translation of the aspiration of the people of South Sudan into reality.

“We support the efforts of the South Sudanese people to build lasting peace and create a society marked by dignity, opportunity, and prosperity,” Blinken said.

“We continue to urge South Sudan’s leaders to realize their people’s aspirations and take concrete steps to build a unified security service that respects human rights; to establish accountable and transparent economic management; and to create strong, democratic institutions and a conducive environment to support free, fair, and credible elections,” he added.

‘NOTHING TO CELEBRATE’

South Sudan’s prominent opposition leader Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin said in a statement on Independence Day that the country has almost nothing to celebrate as an achievement eleven years after the world’s youngest country gained its independence from Sudan following decades of war.

“Eleven years after independence we have little to show by way of translating into reality the slogans we have been shouting about during the struggle. We promised our people democracy, freedoms, service delivery, development, healthy economy, national unity, imposing the rule of law, accountability, and empowerment of women, promotion of national unity, accountability and promotion of the youth,” Akol said.

“Eleven years on we can hardly put our finger on an achievement on these important pillars of national obligation, except for one or two infrastructural projects designed, financed and executed by foreign countries,” he added.

The opposition leader said that the country instead witnessed “a devastating war twice (2013-2015 and 2017-2018) so devastating that we lost hundreds of thousand souls and produced millions of refugees and IDPs for the first time in our history.”