When South Sudan became a country in 2011, there was a lot of optimism in a nation where people had endured decades of conflict to win independence from Sudan.
But within three years, the country had descended into its own civil war – a war that continues to this day.
Today more than a third of South Sudan’s population has been forced from their homes. Children are used as soldiers and mass rape as a weapon of war.
On this edition of Global Journalist, a look at why the government and the main rebel group have been unable to make peace, and whether a policy shift by the Trump administration may lead to a deal.
Joining the program:
- Eyder Peralta, East Africa correspondent for NPR News
- Jehanne Henry, a team leader in the Africa division of Human Rights Watch
- James Butty, managing editor and host of "Daybreak Africa" for Voice of America
Producers: Rosemary Belson, Edom Kassaye