Speaker: Mr John Simon Yor Kor
Chargé d’Affaires, Embassy of the Republic of South Sudan
Date: Tuesday, 30 September Time: 12:30 – 14:00
Venue: VCRs, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban
The Republic of South Sudan attained its independent on the 9th of July 2011, becoming the youngest new nation in the world. South Sudan is a landlocked country and borders Sudan from the north, Ethiopia from the east, Kenya, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo from the south and the Central African Republic from the west.
South Sudan is divided into 10 states, which correspond to three historical regions, Greater Bahr el Ghazal, Greater Equatoria and Greater Upper Nile. After separation from the North, South Sudan is only slightly more than a geographical expression. It contains more than sixty cultural and linguistic groups, each of which have a stronger sense of citizenship in their tribes than in the nation.
The main glue that binds the country’s multiple ethnicities together is the history of their struggle for freedom and collective opposition to the north. The leadership of the Country have a big challenge in their hands to create national cohesion between the different ethnic groups.
South Sudan holds potential in various sectors, including agriculture, banking and telecommunications. However, it still depends on oil revenue. The Government of the Republic of South Sudan (GoSS) is keen to cultivate and nurture a conducive investment environment in the country.
The young state plunged into crisis in December 2013 due to a failed coup attempt planned by the former Vice president. Fighting between government troops and rebel factions erupted, and within weeks the conflict had killed thousands and displaced many more. Peace for the people of South Sudan has always been the stand of the government. Hence the signing of the peace protocol in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital. It is the hope of the government of South Sudan that; there will be an everlasting peace.
RSVP by 29 September
Cape Town: Ray Adams (021) 466 7936, radams@hsrc.ac.za 12th Floor, Plein Park Building, Plein Street, Cape Town
Durban: Ridhwaan Khan (031) 242 5400, rkhan@hsrc.ac.za 1st Floor, 750 Francois Road, Ntuthuko Junction, Pods 5 and 6, Cato Manor
Pretoria: Arlene Grossberg (012) 302 2811, acgrossberg@hsrc.ac.za 1st Floor, HSRC Building, 134 Pretorius Street, Pretoria
SamLekala (012) 316 9753, slekala@hsrc.ac.za Cell 082 328 1464