South Sudan, 15 years: Still fighting for peace | Story

Juba, South Sudan – As South Sudan celebrates 15 years of independence on July 9, the hopes that accompanied the birth of the world’s smallest country in 2011 have given way to a harsh reality.

After decades of struggle for independence and a long civil war with Sudan, the country was plunged into the same conflict between 2013 and 2018, a war that researchers say has killed tens of thousands of people.

Although the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) ended the conflict, experts and humanitarian organizations say the implementation is far from over, leaving many South Sudanese wondering when the gains of independence will reach them.

“Basic services such as medical care and clean water remain very limited. They have become privileges and not rights,” Sabila Sebit, a worker in Western Bahr el Ghazal State, told Al Jazeera.

He said that the violence that is happening in the community and between people continues to disrupt the daily life in many parts of the country.

“Peace and security are still a major concern due to the violence that is happening in the regions and between the people affected by almost all the countries. The establishment of sustainable peace is very important for families to live in safety and continue with their daily lives,” he said.

Sebit also said the 35 percent quota for women under the R-ARCSS has yet to be met, while laws to advance women’s rights are still in place.

‘Constant problems’

South Sudan’s problems include “an increase in inter-communal violence, reprisals, slaughter of cattle and killing of civilians by unknown people,” women’s rights activist Zabib Musa Loro Bakhit told Al Jazeera.

Bakhit said conflict-related sexual violence, child marriages, land grabbing and economic problems have left many communities starving and without adequate government support.

For Thomas Batista Balash, a resident of Juba, the day is a moment of reflection rather than celebration.

“On our 15th anniversary, I look back on our journey and see what we have accomplished and the challenges we have faced,” Balash told Al Jazeera.

He said corruption, tribalism and weak institutions continue to hinder development, which makes national healing and reconciliation essential for cooperation.

Across South Sudan, many citizens continue to struggle with inflation, unemployment, unpaid government wages and access to education, health care and clean water.

Humanitarian needs grow

Aid agencies are facing increasing pressure as conflict, climate shocks and the arrival of more than 1.2 million refugees and internally displaced persons fleeing the conflict in neighboring Sudan add to already huge needs.

“We are seeing a growing need for trauma services,” Kieran Seager, spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Juba, told Al Jazeera. “In the first six months of 2026, we fired 266 people, 50 percent more than the same period last year.”

Most of the patients were transferred to the Juba Military Hospital, which Seager said was operating beyond capacity.

The ICRC provides surgical, physiotherapy and psychological and psychosocial support to patients wounded by weapons, but Seager said that access to aid for people remains difficult due to lack of security, damage caused by floods and floods.

“Humanitarian funding is not commensurate with the level of need in South Sudan,” he said. “As South Sudan celebrates 15 years of independence, the continued support of donors is needed to prevent the situation from collapsing.”

A way of peace under adversity

The 2018 peace agreement remains “the best plan to achieve peace and stability”, James Boboya Edimond, director of the Institute of Social Policy Research, told Al Jazeera, although implementation has been less than expected.

“Recent assessments show that less than 25 percent of short-term contracts have been implemented,” Edimond said.

He said that the delay in the reform of the security sector, including the confirmation and deployment of joint forces, continues to hamper the transition. He also cited weak institutions, economic constraints, the decline of local governments and continued migration as major obstacles to lasting peace.

Regional conflicts, especially in Upper Nile and Jonglei states, continue to affect people, people’s needs and people’s lack of trust in government institutions.

South Sudan is set to hold its first post-independence elections on December 22, 2026. Edimond said elections should be seen as part of a broader democracy rather than an end in itself.

“A credible election depends on the full implementation of the peace agreement, the implementation of the legislative process, a safe political environment and adequate education of the people and voters,” he said.

Government officials, however, said extending the transition period was necessary to complete what remains in the peace deal. They say that peace is moving slowly in many parts of this country while admitting that there are serious problems.

For many South Sudanese, these assurances offer little comfort as economic hardship, insecurity and displacement continue to define daily life.

Fifteen years after independence, South Sudan is still torn between the promise that led to its birth and the reality faced by its people. The future of the country depends on whether the political leaders can rise above their demands and deliver the peace and stability that the people have been waiting for for a long time.

“Issues related to corruption and discrimination are hindering our progress and creating disharmony between organizations,” said Balash, saying that “healing of the country and reconciliation are necessary to create harmony between different groups of people.”