Why the lack of a third voice in South Sudan is costing the country heavily
When fighting broke out in Juba, South Sudan a few weeks ago, all eyes were set on the African Union (AU) summit that just ended in Kigali, Rwanda and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) as potential cradles of concrete solutions to deal with the recurring South Sudan conflict. Previous and even current attempts to address the South Sudan question have unfortunately been narrowly defined on a diametrical ethnic continuum. The problem is a lot more complex than just the Dinka and the Nuer or SPLA/SPLM in government or in opposition. To put this in perspective, the Dinka and Nuer are just two out of over sixty indigenous ethnic groups that make up South Sudan. Demographically, the two account for less than 50% of the country’s population. Attempts to sort the South Sudan question have been blind to the broader complexities of the young country. The solution equation has conveniently left out over 50% of the country’s settlers; thi...