South Sudan Independence Day

On July 9, 2011, South Sudan proclaimed its independence and became the 193rd Member State of the United Nations. However, the laughter and celebrations faded fleetingly and gave way to the sound of gunfire. Allies of the past became the enemies of today, and the unity of the early days quickly disappeared when, in December 2013, fighting broke out between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those who had aligned themselves with Vice President Riek Machar. Hundreds of thousands of deaths later, a fragile peace deal offered some relief to South Sudanese, but the road to stability remains fraught with obstacles.