10 years of solitude: A wasted decade as South Sudan seeks elusive peace, growth
Thousands of Southern Sudanese wave the flag of their new country during a ceremony in the capital Juba to celebrate South Sudan's independence from Sudan on July 9, 2011. PHOTO | AFP
On July 9, 2011, celebrations erupted as a new nation was born and the people of South Sudan clapped and danced to mark the end of a long and bloody struggle for statehood.
"It was a new dawn and something like a miracle," said Wani Stephen Elias, recalling the joy as revellers waved the nation's new flag on the streets of the capital Juba, celebrating long into the night.
