Opinion: The Virgin Time Wasted On Tribal Hatred Will Curse South Sudan’s Future

By Majok Athian Majok

South Sudan, a nation born out of blood, hope, and sacrifice, was supposed to be the miracle of Africa — a story of resilience crowned with freedom. When we gained independence in 2011, the world looked at us with admiration and expectation. That moment was our “virgin time” a sacred period to build a nation rooted in unity, justice, and progress.

Yet, barely a decade later, we find ourselves haunted by what we chose to do with that time. Instead of building, we fought. Instead of uniting, we divided. Our nation’s energy has been squandered on tribal and regional hatreds that continue to poison our politics, cripple our development, and curse our collective future.

The Curse Of Tribal Politics

South Sudan’s greatest tragedy is not just war, but the mindset that sustains it — the prioritisation of tribe over nation. In every corner of public life, tribal identity has become the passport to opportunity. Jobs, scholarships, and positions are often awarded based on who you know, not what you can do. Merit, competence, and integrity have taken a backseat to loyalty and kinship.

I speak from personal experience. Earlier this year, I was denied an internship at a government institution simply because I belong to the Dinka tribe. Someone within that institution told me the truth in confidence. And I asked myself — would training me benefit my tribe, or would it help South Sudan as a whole? The answer was clear.

This toxic system has hollowed out our institutions. It has replaced skilled experts with loyalists, crippling service delivery and policy implementation. It has made corruption thrive while hard-working citizens are left behind.

A Nation At War With Itself

The internal conflict that erupted in 2013 marked the beginning of our wasted decade. The war was senseless, born of ego and ethnic rivalries, not of ideology or vision. That war did not only destroy infrastructure — it destroyed hope.

Hundreds of thousands lost their lives. Millions fled into exile or became displaced within their own country. Many of our brightest minds — doctors, engineers, and entrepreneurs — were scattered across refugee camps and foreign lands. The country’s most valuable asset, its human capital, was drained away.

Repeated displacements have kept communities from rebuilding or investing in the future. Violence has become a habit that drains our productivity and ensures we remain dependent on aid.

The “Virgin Time” We Lost

The early years of independence should have been dedicated to rebuilding institutions, reforming the army, strengthening the rule of law, and investing in education and infrastructure. Instead, we turned those years into a battlefield of mistrust and division.

Now, when floods destroy villages or regional crises spill over, our weak institutions cannot respond effectively. We are a nation perpetually in survival mode — unable to recover because we never built the foundations to stand strong.

Breaking The Curse

The curse of wasted time can only be broken if we, as South Sudanese, change how we think and act. The first step is to redefine what it means to be a citizen. Our loyalty must be to South Sudan, not to our tribes or regions. Leaders must stop using ethnic divisions as political tools and instead foster a sense of shared national identity rooted in our collective struggle for independence.

Public service must reward competence and integrity, not kinship or loyalty. Transparent, merit-based appointments will restore confidence and rebuild functional institutions. Those who exploit tribalism for personal gain should face the law, not applause.

Above all, our nation’s wealth — especially oil revenue — must be redirected toward building roads, schools, hospitals, and opportunities that benefit everyone. Only then can development replace despair.

To my brothers and sisters at home and abroad: do not lose hope. The promise of South Sudan still lives within us. Our people are resilient, our land is rich, and our desire for peace remains unbroken. The “virgin time” of independence may have been wasted, but the future is not yet lost.

If we reject the politics of “us versus them” and embrace unity, merit, and justice, we can still write a different story — one worthy of the sacrifices that birthed this nation.

Let us not waste another decade fighting among ourselves. Let us build the South Sudan we once dreamed of.

The writer is the Chairperson of Makerere University South Sudanese Students’ Association (MUSSSA).
He can be reached at athianmajok2121@gmail.com