The Birth of a Nation

8 July 2011

At midnight tonight, the world will welcome its newest country: the Republic of South Sudan. The nation has not been birthed without decades of violence and struggle. The first uprising against the North began in 1955, prior to Sudan’s official independence from Britain. That struggle has continued up to modern times, save for a decade of peace between North and South in the 1970s. The rebellion revived in the 80’s after the

increasingly Islamist government reneged on several promises it had made and also implemented shari’a law over

the entire nation, including those who were non-Muslims. Bitter and brutal war followed for the next 20+ years, with the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) leading the South in the struggle to liberate themselves from Northern oppression. Finally, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed in 2005, promised a referendum for the South – one in which they overwhelmingly chose to break free from the North. Their decision to secede and become their own nation will come to fruition at midnight tonight.

South Sudan is still rife with problems. Infrastructure is nearly nonexistent after decades of war. The Republic of Sudan continues to threaten from the North, still waging war in the contested areas of Abyei and the Nuba mountains. And tribal conflict within South Sudan already threatens to tear the new nation apart. Yet all of this pales in light of what the Southern Sudanese will achieve tonight: independence. They may not yet know how to solve their many internal problems, but what they do know is that finally, at long last, they are free.

10 July 2011

This past weekend, I had the great honor of being in South Sudan when it officially became its own nation. My friend/co-worker Kate and I traveled to the town of Nimule, which just across the border from Uganda. Luckily, a friend arranged lodging for us at a local orphanage that happened to have some of the best accommodations in town (no running water, but a sturdy building with real beds and electricity from a generator for a few hours at night). We got to hang out with the kids and watch the preparations and festivities that unfolded around us. We were able to witness the birth of a nation.The orphanage also housed a church on its property. The church held a special program on the night of the 8^th which included the lighting of candles and the singing of the new national anthem at midnight, when the new nation was officially announced. I was honored to be able to be a part of this experience… to see these people finally achieve something for which they had long fought and suffered. Singing and dancing and celebrating followed for the next hour or so.The next day, everyone from the surrounding areas – the Madi, Acholi, Dinka, Bari, and other tribes – paraded along the main street in their best clothes or tribal regalia. They gathered at the piyam (local government office) to witness a special ceremony in which the Sudanese flag was lowered and the new South Sudanese flag was raised during the playing of the national anthem. They then proceeded to Nimule Stadium (which simply turned out to be a large soccer field) for a day-long program that included speeches, dancing, and military drills. Unfortunately, the crowd was so large that I was able to see little of the ceremony. In addition, the excessive heat and perpetually limited shade meant that we returned home early to relieve our skin from burning to a crisp under the hot African sun. The day was marked by much celebration that included ululating, shouting, flag waving, dancing, music, eating, drinking, and the firing of guns into the air (the latter two of which were probably a bad combination).

No one knows what will happen now that South Sudan has achieved its independence. The tribes united in their mutual disdain for the North and fought together to win their freedom. However, intertribal rivalries and conflicts have always threatened the unity of the South… and this threat has not disappeared with independence. The Dinka dominated the leadership of the SPLA and now also dominate the leadership of the new country. Though it was the Dinka’s fierce warrior mentality that assuredly prevented the North from obliterating the South during the war, it is also the Dinka’s stubbornness and exclusiveness that have contributed to growing criticisms and unrest from other tribes. Will the South Sudanese go to war amongst themselves? I have been told by Southern Sudanese themselves that it is very possible. Let us pray for peace to reign in this new land.