Lawmakers Hopeful For Future Of South Sudan

By Philip Bunnell

South Sudan officially gained independence on July 9, and despite its violent history and troubled future, lamakers on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee expressed hope for the world’s newest nation.

After 56 years of bloody civil war, the South Sudanese citizens overwhelmingly supported a referendum that opted for independence. Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.), the top Republican on the committee, called South Sudan’s independence a “rare modern milestone.”

“The people of South Sudan have realized their dream of independence and deserve recognition for the sacrifice and commitment they have made to achieve this in the face of enormous odds.”

Despite the jubilance for South Sudan’s independence, there are obviously still grave concerns. US Special Envoy to Sudan Princeton Lyman warned the committee of “credible allegations of targeted and ethnic-based killings and gross human rights violations” that have taken place along the Sudan-South Sudan border. He also noted how “resupply routes for humanitarian agencies have been blocked.”

A litany of other problems linger, he added. For instance, some in the Sudanese government do not trust the United States and a serious lack of education and infrastructure will stunt development in the South.

Nonetheless, committee Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.) remembered visiting South Sudan during the election where “millions of South Sudanese stood in line for hours to cast their votes for independence.”

“I remember coming out of one of the voting places and said ‘gosh, some of these people are going to walk away, the lines are so long and they can’t wait that long to vote,’” said Kerry.  Then, Kerry said, “two or three of these people… turned around to me and just said ‘Senator, we’ve been waiting for 56 years, we can wait a few more hours.’”