It is nearly two decades since the world gazed in silence as hundreds of thousands of civilians, men, women and children, were hacked to death in the frenzy known as the Rwanda Genocide. Bill Clinton now acknowledges that he failed to act when there was an opportunity to prevent the slaughter of the innocent. Scholars have written books, there are dozens of articles which prove the massacre could have been avoided. Fast forward to 2014. Fast forward to South Sudan, which was formed when the nation of Sudan was divided in order to accommodate the reality of a Muslim north and a Christian south. Thousands of innocent people had already died in the Darfur massacres, and the hope was by creating two separate nations it would end the Muslim-Christian conflict.
So, what happened? South Sudan is now torn between two rivalries. South Sudan President Salva Kiir is engaged in a conflict with his former ally and now rebel leader, Riek Machar, in a struggle as to which one would gain power. Thousands have died, at least 1.2 million people have fled to the security of UN refugee camps. South Sudan does possess oil, but war is making it difficult to get the oil to market. Navi Pillay, UN Commissioner for Human Rights, was clear about the reality, she is “appalled by the apparent lack of concern displayed by both leaders.” People are dying of famine, women are getting raped and at least 9,000 children are fighting as soldiers rather than fighting for higher grades in school. Another Rwanda??
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