Give South Sudan peace

South Sudan will celebrate 10 years of independence on Friday. The country seceded from Sudan and attained full independence on July 9, 2011, ending a protracted civil war.

Yet to say South Sudan’s independence ended the internecine war is to err. It simply transferred it to the new nation. Ideological differences between President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar resulted in Machar being fired in 2013. What followed was ethnic strife between the Dinka and Neur tribes that has left the country devastated. Over three million South Sudanese were displaced while over 300,000 lost their lives.

As South Sudan turns another year, the best gift its leaders can give citizens is peace and tranquility that will yield the development they yearn for.