South Sudan: When Oil Becomes A Curse

South Sudan placed much hope on its abundant oil reserves to secure the desired prosperity for its people following its separation from Republic of the Sudan. But the reality was stark for the young nation, as the country not only failed to maintain its pre-independence oil production level, but also ended up losing nearly 50% of its production due to the civil war.

The country seceded from Sudan in 2011 but plunged into civil war just over two years later after a political disagreement between President Salva Kiir and his former vice President Riek Machar exploded into a military confrontation.