As South Sudan celebrated 12 years of independence on Sunday 9 July, a cross-section of citizens in Eastern Equatoria State have questioned the absence of peace, lack of government services, and development which they say they expected after independence.

Many of the people Radio Tamazuj spoke to said they voted for independence in the hope of living in a country free from oppression. On the contrary, they said life has become increasingly difficult and characterized by war and political conflict precipitated by power struggles that have curtailed growth.

Alice Okuna, an artist, told Radio Tamazuj that she expected the people of South Sudan to live in peace and harmony after independence but instead, the social fabric was torn apart.

“I was expecting that people would be united and live peacefully but I am hearing a lot of bad things happening in South Sudan. People have divergent views.  We expected peace and development of the nation so that people can move from state to state as a sign of peace and unity,” she said. “I appeal to our leaders to unite our people. I am also yearning to see development in South Sudan because the country is fragmenting daily and the youth are dying and this makes me cry.”

According to William Obel, a resident of Longiro in western Lopit, the prevailing economic hardships are frustrating and have made South Sudanese become vulnerable in their own country.

“We need positive changes and the situation should change because since independence, we have not experienced development. Commodities are also very expensive in the market,” he said. “These conflicts should stop and people should live in peace, unity, and harmony.”

“The way things are going, the poor and elderly cannot survive in this country,” Obel added.

Meanwhile, Evaristo Cheche Lobanyet, an elder in Kapoeta North County, said he has seen some new office blocks, schools health centers in his area but is quick to add that instability hinders the return of people who fled insecurity as a result of war.

“South Sudanese should unite so that the people who fled to bushes and the refugees in neighboring counties can return home,” he advised. “People should come back home so that we chose the government and leaders we want so that ambushes, cattle raiding, robbery, child abductions, killings, and other bad practices stop.”

For her part, National Environment Minister Josephine Napwon Cosmos who hails from and is on a tour of Eastern Equatoria State, acknowledged the suffering citizens are facing.

“For the people in Eastern Equatoria, the only message I have is about peace and unity. Let us be united so that we can have a sustainable and prosperous South Sudan because if we are united, nothing can come between us,” she said. “We fought for 21 years and brought this country together. Let this twelfth Independence Day anniversary lead to a healing process for the affected families who lost their loved ones during the senseless war which started in 2013.”

“May God be with all of us because through our unity we will always achieve what we want,” Minister Napwon added.