The unexpected deadliest shooting at J-1 during a cabinet meeting in Juba

By Pal Chol Nyan, Juba, South Sudan

In tatters, South Sudan on the fifth anniversary of the Independent Day

July 9, 2016 (SSB) — We have been telling the war mongers that peace is better than war but we have been being insulted, spat at and bullied for saying that. It was only yesterday when the shooting started at J-1 that I knew people don’t want to die given the way they were running away, confused, disoriented and undecided to different directions. I applaud the Leaders for standing firm and calling up on the people to stay calm.

War is destructive. War is costly. War breaks up families. War brings hunger. Who will deny that many families slept with empty stomachs just because there was shooting? War brings death. It must be avoided. I hope some of my friends who have been hostile to me for rebuking and advising them against inciting the public were on the line of duty. If not, then I have the audacity to question their man-hood.

July 9th and the beckoning of civic duty in South Sudan

Happy 5th Anniversary to the Republic of South Sudan!!

By Amer Mayen Dhieu (Brisbane, Australia) and PaanLuel Wël (Juba, South Sudan)

July 9, 2016 (SSB) — On this 9th of July, we, the South Sudanese, are deeply disillusioned with politicians over the war and the economic crisis. There is a palpable sense of fear, indignation and betrayal. Too many conflicts colliding with too little conciliation in Juba.

There are plethora of ills bedeviling the new nation, including blunders committed by our political leaders, blunders that only add fuel onto the fire, precipitating the downhill slide into the dark abyss.

We are ranked second only to Somalia among the failed states in the world. Our infant oil-dependent economy has collapsed, along with social amenities and physical infrastructure. Corruption is running amok in the country, sparing not even the office of the president. And our honorable politicians have been providing a bizarre episode in a drama of epic confusion.

Apparently, the country has run out of able and good leaders that the prodigal son is the one proclaiming our salvation and redemption from the failed Messiah.

July 9th is another painful and fearful day of celebration for South Sudanese in Juba

South Sudan’s 5^th Independence Day: July 9, 2016 is another painful and fearful year of celebration full with uncertainties

By David Mabior Atem, Canada

July 9th celebration

July 9, 2016 (SSB) — On July 9^th, 2011, the Republic of South Sudan was declared the 196^th country in the world, the 193^rd member of the UN and the 54^th country in the continent of Africa. Republic of South Sudan is a nation that was fought and founded on strong values of progresses; equality, dignity, freedom of expression, rule of law, human rights, freedom of association, religion, doctrines of liberalism and pluralism, but has stumbled down the wrong path due to leadership crises.

It is a high time for leaders to acknowledge that the nation is at the last point of collapsing due to many uncertainties; cripple economy, hasty insecurity, spiral corruption, unlawful detentions in known and unknown locations, ongoing pro-government and rebel violations of peace agreement, torturing of innocents, unlawful killings across the country and displacement of civilians before and recently in Wau. However, current civil unrest is a project of the very leaders (some) that fought bitterly against the Khartoum government to free the people of South Sudan from a system that didn’t recognize satellite societies.