The current bloodletting in South Sudan has its roots in the new nation’s independence struggle.

The people of South Sudan – the world’s youngest nation that only gained independence from Sudan on July 9, 2011 – are certainly at a loss as to what has suddenly befallen their country. After five decades of a bitter struggle for autonomy, the country was on Sunday, December 15, 2013, plunged into an unprecedented internal crisis following a foiled bloody coup. Some 500 people were reportedly killed in the attempted putsch, with 20,000 taking refuge in UN compounds in the capital, Juba. There are allegations that the killings were largely along ethnic lines.

Accusations, Counter-accusations

While President Salva Kiir Mayardit blamed his former deputy, Dr Riek Machar for the coup attempt, the latter was quick to deny any knowledge, saying it was the result of a disagreement among members of the Presidential Guards. The conflict has since dragged on for over a week, spreading to Jonglei, Unity, Eastern and Central Equatoria States. Machar last week openly called for the overthrow of the President who earlier offered to negotiate with him. Meanwhile, observers agree that South Sudan is fast descending into a war between the country’s two largest ethnic nationalities – the Dinka of President Kiir and Nuer of Machar.  

Factional Independence Movement

The Sudan People’s Liberation Army, SPLA that led the fight for autonomy from Sudan was never a united movement all along. Dr Riek Machar, Lam Akol and others defected from it in 1991 to join forces with the Khartoum government before later returning. In spite of his treachery, President Salva Kiir Mayardit, who succeeded the late SPLA founding leader, John Garang, still went ahead and appointed Machar as his deputy. A position Machar continued to hold after independence in 2011. On the other hand, former dissidents who were integrated into new national army tended to be loyal to their ex-tribal warlords, rather than to the army high command.

Disarming Potential Dissidents

Reports say a component of the Presidential Guards, the Tiger Battalion, made up of  ex-fighters of Nuer origin perceived to be loyal to Riek Machar, was about to be disarmed on December 14, 2013. The authorities apparently did not trust their presence in the Presidential Guards anymore. In the process, the Tiger Batallion troops defied orders and ended up taking over the military headquarters by force. The ensuing firefights then spread across the city, at some point reaching the Presidential Palace compound.

SPLM Split

The past few months have seen a flurry of political activities by a disgruntled group within the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, SPLM party led by Salva Kiir. The group consisted of individuals who were fired from their government positions when President Kiir dismissed Riek Machar as Deputy President and the whole cabinet last July. Many of the disgruntled politicians were already being investigated for insubordination and corruption. The group at one point publicly vowed to force the President to capitulate if he did not change his ‘dictatorial’ style of leadership. It was this brewing discontent that finally exploded last week.  

Fledgling Democracy

South Sudan is a young democracy whose leaders are naturally still learning its rudiments after decades of leading a guerilla movement. With the advent of democracy, challenges of balancing tribal and national interests have arisen. There have been complaints that the Dinka – from which the late John Garang and President Kiir hail - the country’s largest ethnic group, hold most of the senior positions in government.

Glaring Poverty, Insecurity

Another contributory factor to last week’s bloody uprising could be the current state of the economy. The country is among the poorest in the world, after long years of bloody independence struggle left it without any viable infrastructure. A brief war with Sudan over a border dispute and the three-month shutdown of oil exports through Khartoum’s territory in January 2012, crippled both economies.  Added to this are the activities of cattle rustlers, other armed gangs as well as the perennial small-scale insurgencies in different parts of the country that have continued after independence.