South Sudan’s 15‑year journey: how colonial borders, resource politics, and regional power dynamics shape the lives of 12 million
Original framing: “In maps and charts: South Sudan’s 15 years of independence” — Al Jazeera
A trickster reading exposes the paradox that the very maps meant to clarify sovereignty also cement the colonial logic that birthed conflict; like Hermes guiding travelers through labyrinthine routes, the charts guide viewers through a narrative that hides power asymmetries. By invoking Coyote’s disruptive humor, we see how the ‘progress’ narrative masks ongoing exploitation. This inversion destabilises the solemnity of state‑building rhetoric, revealing its absurdity when juxtaposed with lived suffering.
South Sudan’s fifteen years of independence are shaped by a colonial border legacy, extractive oil politics, and regional power games that together reproduce structural violence.
Indigenous governance models, when legally empowered, can reorient resource flows toward communal well‑being, while a regional fiscal federalism pact can dilute external leverage and fund shared development. Embedding scientific scenario planning and amplifying marginalised voices—especially women and youth—creates a feedback loop that aligns peacebuilding with climate adaptation. A trickster lens reveals the absurdity of maps that claim sovereignty while cementing exploitation, urging a re‑imagining of statehood that honors cross‑cultural wisdom and historical continuity.