One year ago…South Sudanese men celebrate their independence on July 9, 2011. Photo by Arsenie Coseac, Flickr

It has been just over one year since the creation of the independent nation of South Sudan. This new country, which chose to separate from Sudan following a referendum supported by well over 90 per cent of the region’s population, held high hopes that legal, economic and religious autonomy would usher in a new era of peace and prosperity. Since its inception, both peace and prosperity have been elusive targets.

In recent weeks, border disputes between South Sudan and its neighbour, Sudan, have threatened to rekindle decades of civil war. Further complicating matters is the fact that Heglig, the disputed region in question, is the location of the nation’s oil reserves and a major source of political friction.

The new state of South Sudan is located in eastern Africa.

A major driving force behind the independence movement was the desire for religious freedom. The South Sudanese are hardly monolithic. They are comprised of diverse ethnic groups practicing several faiths, including traditional African faiths, and a large Christian population. Thus the struggle against the domination of the Muslim majority in the North was a key factor in the South Sudanese desire to separate.

“The last year has clearly been a difficult one,” said Hilde Johnson of the United Nations at a media briefing earlier this month, adding that the resolution of outstanding issues between the two nations is “critical for the viability of South Sudan as a new country.”
In July, Father Martin Ochaya, a Catholic priest from Juba, South Sudan, was invited by Vancouver Archbishop J. Michael Miller to speak to our community about the challenges facing the people of his country.

“The people are suffering, having just come out of a prolonged civil war, and the renewed war along the border in the oil-rich areas is also a concern,” said Ochaya. “For much of this year, the situation was good … but from March, the situation has been rather tense because Sudan and South Sudan have failed to agree on some of the post-independence issues.”

These cultural, political and economic rifts, however, will not easily be reconciled. It is the hope of people such as Ochaya that spirituality, faith and forgiveness can play a vital role in healing the wounds caused by decades of both civil and inter-tribal conflict.
“South Sudan is really wounded, because the war has taken so long,” said Ochaya, “people are traumatized by this conflict.” He added that the fighting has also had a deep personal impact on individuals and their relationships. These wounds may prove hardest to heal.

“There is that sense of animosity that maybe ‘this’ community has wronged ‘that’ community … one of the biggest challenges now is national healing. The Ministry of Forgiveness and Reconciliation is taking shape very well.”

Apart from spiritual healing, a great deal of physical rebuilding needs to be done in order to repair years of neglect since the end of British colonial rule in the 1950s.

“One way that the people of Vancouver can help is to lobby the government of Canada to put pressure on the two countries … to resolve their issues peacefully through negotiations,” said Ochaya. “The people of Vancouver can also support the situation with financial contributions for educating children and providing food.”

Finally, Ochaya urged Vancouverites to travel to South Sudan and lend their skills and talent to various charitable organizations.