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Jonglei state in South Sudan, where recent violence has displaced over 120,000 people. |
New nations often face steep hurdles in building the
political, economic and infrastructural bedrock necessary for stable statehood.
For South Sudan – the world’s youngest country – these processes have been
suppressed by longstanding tribal animosity, armed SPLA (Sudan
People’s Liberation Army) splinter groups that refuse assimilation, and the
dire economic situation which South Sudan inherited upon independence. Aside
from its jurisdiction over an estimated 75% of Sudanese oil fields, South Sudan
for all intents and purposes ‘started from scratch.’