The last time I wrote about the situation in South Sudan, I may have predicted the leaders of the two sets of forces would never join hands and stop fighting. I hindsight, I may have thought too low of them. They both have finally come through. They have agreed to have peace talks, with a condition that the house arrest on the opposition leader Riek Machar is removed.
But this is huge news for the war torn nation. When all hope seems to be lost, the leaders come together to end the fighting. Or do they? This could in fact end up being another divided nation like the Ivory coast was. This time, South Sudan doesn't have Didier Drogba to save it. Last time i had mentioned that millions were returning to the nation. They think the war is going to end. But what about their lives? Will it ever improve?
Now there is a new problem in their hands. The government is cracking down on protesters, intimidating, harassing and even attacking protesters and journalists.
"Those who are telling you to go before the government and protest, don’t they know that anything could happen, and people may die? If the government closes its mind and decides to use automatic weapons, why do you want to die for nothing? "
This is what their president had to say about the issue. Quite a sweetheart isn't he? Human rights are a joke in the country. If they wish to improve the state of their Republic, improve the lives of the people, give them rights, make them happy. It is like they've been reading books on how to make an entire nation mad(probably written by the Chinese or Thai government).
There were incidents of unnamed gunmen attacking UN peacekeeping forces. This could mean terrorism is on the rise in the country. And if the poverty and despair continue, it looks like an increasing possibility. If terrorism rises, then the rebuilding of this broken nation may take forever.