South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit yesterday during a ceremony to launch South Sudanese coins for the first time acknowledged that the introduction of the new coins alone would not improve the economy.

“We can say that the introduction of the coins into circulation that it is an achievement but it is not enough because what will you do to improve our economy. We are fighting in the country and both cannot go, war and development,” Kiir said.

“You cannot see any country developing while fighting internal insurgency or fighting external enemy because whatever you have in your economy you have to give it to the fighting forces so that they get arms and they get uniforms and raised their salaries. This for us who are just a young country four years old, we cannot sustain such things.”

South Sudan's central bank has introduced coins in denominations of 10, 20 and 50 piasters and 1 and 2 pounds.

The 10 piaster coin shows an oil drilling rig, the 20 piaster shows a stork, the 50 piaster shows a Northern White Rhino, the 1 pound shows a Nubian giraffe and the 2 pound shows a shield with two crossed spears.