The Apparition of the Perceived Enemy: National Identity and Peace Building in South Sudan

Abstract

Between July 8th and 11th, 2016 an intense fighting erupted in South Sudan. This was the second instance to the previous fighting that broke-out between December 15th and 18th, 2013 and both happened in Juba the capital city of the country. These revealed that, South Sudan was not only the newest nation in the world, but also but also the youngest nation facing many dilemmas in forging for national identity and consolidating peace. These incidences require scholars to be sober and surpass the oversimplifications of the causes of this mayhem.  Thus, understanding these challenges calls for re-considering and re-framing the understanding of the real enemy, to forge a healthy national identity that the country needs. In this journey, I challenge South Sudanese to re-think reflectively and critically if they are to understand the manifestation of the postcolonial–neo-colonial image of imperialism that have not allowed meaningful transition and state building and unlearn the perceived misunderstanding, and invitation is for them to embrace roles of democracy, nationhood, and governance in peace and nation building. As this paper advances, it is by embracing such reconsiderations that nation building, and the identity formation among South Sudanese, the prospects newly country of South Sudan will be possible.