09/07/2026
15 Years of "Independence," Yet We Are Still Bleeding:
A Cry for My Country
Today, July 9, marks 15 years since we raised our flag high in 2011. But as the rest of the world looks at South Sudan, I look at our land through tears of profound grief. How can we celebrate when our people are being slaughtered? My heart is completely broken for the innocent souls lost to relentless, horrific violence in Warrap, Unity, Ruweng, Jonglei State, and the Abyei Administrative Area.
I am not happy seeing our people dead day after day. This is not the freedom we fought for. We have endured this unbearable suffering since the very dawn of our independence, trapped in a never-ending cycle of blood, grief, and displacement.
Let us be honest with ourselves today: we are not truly independent if a citizen cannot even move freely within our own capital city of Juba, let alone travel safely across the country.
True independence is not just a date on a calendar; it is freedom from fear. It is the freedom to walk the streets, till our lands, and sleep in our homes without the terror of being murdered.
The primary, sacred mandate of any sovereign government is the absolute protection of its citizens' lives and property. Under Article 11 of the Transitional Constitution of South Sudan, every citizen has an inherent right to life and security. Internationally, our nation is bound by Article 4 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Both strictly guarantee the right to life. By failing to halt these communal clashes, armed raids, and brutal massacres, our government is explicitly failing its constitutional and international mandates.
This paralysis is not due to a lack of capacity; it is a heartbreaking lack of political will. If the will to protect South Sudanese lives truly existed, our leaders would move mountains and mobilize every security resource to restore order immediately.
When a country genuinely values human life, it acts decisively. Regionally, Rwanda rebuilt its entire security framework through community-oriented policing and a zero-tolerance policy for localized violence. Internationally, nations like Australia deploy rapid-response joint task forces to volatile border zones to neutralize internal conflicts before a single drop of blood is spilled. We need that same decisiveness here.
To end this 15-year nightmare, our leadership must immediately implement these durable solutions:
1. Enact Immediate Disarmament:
Strip all civilian populations of illegal fi****ms through transparent, state-led enforcement.
2. Deploy Neutral Security Forces:
Station disciplined, non-partisan national army and police units permanently in the flashpoints of Warrap, Unity, Ruweng, Jonglei, and Abyei.
3. Enforce Judicial Accountability:
Establish functional mobile courts in affected states to immediately try and punish warlords and perpetrators of violence.
4. Guarantee Freedom of Movement:
Clear illegal checkpoints and secure the roads linking Juba to all states to allow citizens to travel without fear.
5. Resolve Border and Land Disputes:
Initiate peaceful, government-backed demarcation and dialogue forums to address the root causes of regional friction.
I am crying out today not as a politician, but as a traumatized citizen who refuses to accept death as our national identity. Our leaders must wake up, honor their oaths, and finally protect the beautiful, suffering people of South Sudan.
Sudan At 15
For South Sudan
Our People
The Violence
Sudan is for all South Sudanese
