When the people of South Sudan voted overwhelmingly for independence fifteen years ago, they did far more than establish a new state. They embraced a historic opportunity to build a nation founded on freedom, justice, equality, and human dignity. It was a defining moment that demanded wisdom, visionary leadership, and an unwavering commitment to the principles for which millions had sacrificed their lives.
At that historic juncture, the first question that should have guided the nation-building process was both simple and fundamental: How could South Sudan, as a newly independent state, learn from the failures of Sudan’s successive authoritarian regimes and from its own painful experience of armed struggle in order to build a free, just, and democratic society?
Fifteen years later, that question remains unanswered. Instead of confronting it with honesty and responsibility, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), entrusted with leading the world’s newest nation, chose a different course. It consistently placed recklessness above wisdom, tribal loyalty above national unity, dictatorship above democracy, and repression above freedom. In doing so, it abandoned the very ideals that inspired generations of South Sudanese to fight for self-determination and independence.
By building the new state upon the worst legacies of the old Sudan while reproducing the darkest aspects of its own revolutionary experience, the SPLM committed a profound betrayal. This betrayal is directed not merely against political opponents or rival movements, but against the aspirations of the South Sudanese people whose sacrifices made independence possible.
Such a betrayal cannot be measured solely by broken promises. It must be judged by its devastating consequences, which continue to deepen with every passing year. Fifteen years after independence, hope has given way to fear, uncertainty, and despair. The liberation that was expected to usher in an era of peace, justice, and shared prosperity has instead produced insecurity, mass displacement, systematic killings, widespread poverty, economic collapse, institutional decay, and the steady transformation of the state into an instrument of repression.
Perhaps the clearest indication of this national crisis is the growing number of voices calling for secession as a response to the SPLM’s failure to govern effectively. Whether one agrees with such proposals or not, their emergence reflects a profound loss of confidence in the movement’s ability to build a state that serves all its citizens equally. This erosion of public trust is the inevitable consequence of a government that has largely failed to guarantee security, uphold justice, deliver basic public services, or foster genuine national unity.
Consider how communities that once stood together in pursuit of a common destiny are now increasingly divided. Trust has been replaced by suspicion, hope by despair, and national solidarity by political fragmentation. Repeated violence, unresolved grievances, and chronic political instability have eclipsed the aspirations that once inspired generations to struggle for freedom and self-determination.
South Sudan’s future cannot be secured through denial, repression, or the recycling of failed political formulas. The SPLM’s continued reliance on war, exclusion, and authoritarian rule is steadily destroying the foundations of national unity while increasing the risk of state collapse and political fragmentation. Saving South Sudan from this dangerous trajectory is therefore not merely a political objective; it is a national and revolutionary imperative.
From the moment it assumed power, the SPLM departed from the path of freedom, justice, and human dignity that had guided the liberation struggle. That departure represents a profound betrayal of the hopes and aspirations of millions of South Sudanese who continue to bear the consequences of failed leadership.
Perhaps most disturbing is the extent to which this betrayal has become normalised. It is treated by those in power as though it were both legitimate and inevitable. Such normalisation encourages political and military leaders to continue committing grave abuses against citizens, including unlawful killings, forced displacement, intimidation, looting, and other serious violations of human rights.
The danger, however, extends beyond the conduct of those who govern. It also lies in the silence, indifference, and complacency that allow injustice to flourish unchecked. When corruption becomes acceptable, violence becomes an ordinary instrument of politics, and injustice becomes routine, responsibility extends beyond those who wield power. Every citizen, in one way or another, bears the consequences of a national tragedy that has affected every region of South Sudan.
Some continue to defend this reality under the slogan, “It is our government.” Such reasoning is fundamentally flawed. If the government truly belonged to its people, its foremost priorities would be protecting their security rather than intimidating them, delivering justice rather than tolerating impunity, promoting prosperity rather than deepening poverty, and inspiring hope rather than perpetuating despair.
History offers a clear lesson. Liberation movements earn their legitimacy through sacrifice, but they preserve that legitimacy only through good governance. Independence is not the final destination of a national struggle; it is merely the beginning. A nation cannot be built on revolutionary slogans alone. It must rest upon strong institutions, the rule of law, respect for human rights, equal citizenship, and meaningful economic opportunity for all.
The future of South Sudan will not be secured by defending past failures or glorifying past victories. It depends upon renewing the original promise of independence: that sovereignty belongs to the people; that government exists to serve rather than oppress them; and that every citizen, regardless of ethnicity, region, or political affiliation, enjoys equal rights, equal protection under the law, and equal opportunity.
Only by returning to these founding principles and translating them into practice can South Sudan fulfil the aspirations that inspired its long struggle for liberation and transform political independence into genuine freedom, justice, and lasting peace for all its people.
The writer, Sokiri Lo Poni, is a concerned South Sudanese. He can be reached via Sokiril8@gmail.com.
The views expressed in ‘opinion’ articles published by Radio Tamazuj are solely those of the writer. The veracity of any claims made is the responsibility of the author, not Radio Tamazuj.
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