South Sudan cancels Independence Day celebrations for the second year in a row

South Sudan; the world’s youngest nation; has cancelled its sixth Independence Day celebrations for the second year in a row.

The country’s first and current president, Salva Kiir, has always presided over a military parade and a celebration of independence since the country gained its independence from Sudan in 2011 even at the height of the civil war that broke out four years ago.

Juba said it cancelled the celebrations citing financial reasons which are the same reason the 2016 event was called off. The Minister of Information said that available resources will be channeled to other more pressing areas. “We are not celebrating the anniversary of independence because there are people who need the money we would have spent on the celebration,” Michael Makuei told reporters. “The council of ministers decided that rather than using this money for the festivities, we must use it for something else, if that money is available,” he added.

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The Republic of South Sudan became the world’s newest nation and Africa’s 55th country on July 9, 2011, following a peaceful secession from the Sudan through a referendum in January 2011. But two years after these celebrations, the country was plunged back in to war, dismantling all the gains that had come with independence.

File picture. South Sudanese government forces and allied fighters carried out scores of killings, rapes, and widespread burning and pillage of civilian property in a military offensive in Unity State Photo: HRW

The country is currently suffering from an armed conflict situation that has the government on one hand and rebel groups on the other. The fighting has led to a humanitarian crisis in the country with thousands internally displaced and others seeking refuge in other countries. The South Sudanese government alleges Riek Machar is conspiring with the Sudanese government to overthrow President Kiir, with international monitors reporting the delivery of several payloads of heavy military equipment to Machar’s loyalists.

Issues are not any better on the economic front as inflation hit record levels in August last year. According to the World Bank, South Sudan’s inflation had reached 730 percent. The economy has also suffered in recent years from the decline in oil prices combined with the impact of the civil war on its oil production. South Sudan produced 240,000 barrels a day before the war and now only produces about 120,000 barrels, according to the government.

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Additionally a cholera outbreak that the United Nations calls “the longest, most widespread and most deadly cholera outbreak” began one year ago, and over 11,000 cases have been reported since, including at least 190 deaths, according to the World Health Organization and South Sudan’s government. WHO says 2017 shows a slight increase in cases, which coincides with the recent surge of displaced people across the country as civil war moves well into its fourth year.

In previous years, the event had been marked by military parades and other celebrations, for which the government spent an average of 10 million South Korean pounds, or $ 3 million during that time (2.7 million euros). It comes as no surprise that the government has chosen to forgo celebrations to cater to the countries more pressing needs.