South Sudan crisis retards regional development in East Africa.

People displaced from South Sudan conflict. image source: Google 

The deadly turmoil that broke out on the 15^th December 2013 in Juba threatens to ignite a full scale ethnic civil war across South Sudan. The fight for power between President, Kiir’s Dinkas and Machar’s Nuei, threaten to tumble a newly independent nation. South Sudan is one of the youngest member state in the UN having been welcomed in the UN General Assembly in 2011.

It was triggered by an alleged failed coup by one faction of the ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM). The political differences became public when President Salva Kiir sacked his vice-president, Riek Machar, and several cabinet ministers. 

South Sudan is an oil rich country with about 95% of its revenue coming from crude oil exports. This has been strongly hit by the raging conflict.

The United Nations Security Council has discussed ways to force a cease fire including sanctions, an arms embargo and a referral of South Sudan to the International Criminal Court. This ongoing conflict is adversely affecting the region's economy, security and will bring widespread ramifiactions among East Africa Community (EAC) if the fighting does not end soon.

According to the International Crisis Group, nearly 10,000 people are estimated to be killed in the conflict. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also estimates over 413,000 people internally displaced and 74,300 people are now refugees in neighboring countries such as Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a third of the country’s population is facing emergency levels of food insecurity while some country areas are also at risk of famine hence a gross violation of human rights on a massive scale.

Peace talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement between the government and the White Army rebels have been ongoing in Ethiopia under the support of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IAD). The peace deal that called for an end to hostilities within 24 hours and unhindered humanitarian access was signed on 9^th May 2013. The two leaders agreed to set up a “transitional government of national unity” and hold fresh elections.

Business and political risks for foreign investors and neighboring governments have hiked because of the bloodshed. Uganda, Kenya and Sudan are some of the biggest trading partners with South Sudan but due to the violence trails, regional companies and business people operating there had made great strides and have been forced to scale down or halt their businesses because of the massive looting and the unsecured business environment.

South Sudan is also a crucial link between the East Africa region and North Africa in terms of trade. The insecurity has greatly affected the earnings and general economic growth in East Africa but, also further delayed South Sudan’s already pending request for membership in the EAC.

Peace, security and conflict prevention are linked and imperative pillars in all the projects the East African countries, neighboring countries or regions desire to sustainably achieve, without key attention to these three key issues our development goals are bound receive negative impact resulting from conflicts.

It is inevitable to have conflict therefore, it is therefore important as a region to mainstream for the inclusion of Peace, Security and Conflict prevention in the Post 2015 Development Agenda to integrate the other goals emerging goals.

Written by: Seguya Hillary Innocent Taylor