This archive report was first published on 13 July 2019.
On July 9, South Sudan observed its eighth anniversary of independence from Khartoum in a subdued manner, reflecting the country's current state of economic hardship and conflict.
As the government struggled to organize a celebration, civil servants went without pay for months, and the occasion turned into an unofficial referendum on the public's view of the separation from their Northern sibling.
Despite the challenges, citizens remain committed to the idea of an independent South, a testament to the country's resilience.
However, the quiet commemoration also served as a reminder of the country's poor social indicators, deep indebtedness, and the lack of economic diversification.
The government's failure to address these issues has led to a toxic combination of endemic corruption and insecurity within the leadership, exacerbating the country's problems.
As the country remains heavily dependent on oil, with little effort at economic diversification, the government's programmes have stalled, and there is no coherent strategy for building critical infrastructure or stimulating the supply side of the economy.
East Africa, which hastily integrated South Sudan into its trading bloc, has been unable to engage with the protagonists in any meaningful way, and as hosts of Juba's illicit wealth, Kampala and Nairobi have refused to pull the levers that would probably have the most profound impact on the chief protagonists.
President Kiir and Dr Riek Machar need to wake up to their responsibility to the wider South Sudan community to give the country another chance, which might require them to consider the possibility that while they are part of the solution, they may not have the credentials to chart a new course for South Sudan.
