June 17th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan has remained one of the least peaceful countries in the world despite reports by UN agencies that relative security improvement returned to the country since the signing of a 2018 peace according to the Global Peace Index.
The world’s youngest nation gained independence from Sudan in July 2011 as result of a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of one of Africa’s brutal civil wars. However, in december 2013, the country slipped into another protracted civil war killing half a million and displacing millions.
The government last year signed a peace deal with opposition groups raising hopes for end to the civil war that has mainly been fought along ethnic lines.
Since then, relative calm has returned to the country according to the United Nations and other international agencies.
Despite the improved security situation, the Global Peace Index has ranked South Sudan – for the fifth time – as one of ten least peaceful countries of the world in 2019.
Based on the 2019 peace index, Afghanistan is now the least peaceful country in the world, a position held by Syria, which is now the second on the list, the previous year.
South Sudan remains the third least peaceful country in the world as it was for the last five years. Yemen and Iraq comprise the remaining fourth and fifth position respectively.
For the most peaceful countries of the world, Iceland remains on top of the list which it has held since 2008.
It is joined at the top of the index by New Zealand, Austria, Portugal, and Denmark.
Despite UN reports that relative calm returned to the country since the signing a 2018 peace deal, South Sudan remains the third least peaceful country in the world after Syria which is second one the list.
According to the Global Peace Index overview, “the average level of global peacefulness improved very slightly last year.”
