JUBA, South Sudan (July 30, 2024) — Many South Sudanese were left in shock after a police officer fainted on the streets of Juba, reportedly due to starvation. According to videos that went viral on social media, a friend of the officer stated he had gone four days without food. This incident highlights the severe food insecurity affecting the country, with reports of widespread starvation in Juba and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area.
Sources told the Jubamirror News that the police officer is not the only one suffering; many South Sudanese are facing similar hardships both in and outside Juba. The officer is among thousands of organized forces deployed to prevent looming protests intended to address the rampant poverty under President Salva Kiir and his deputy Dr. Riek Machar.
Youth in South Sudan have decided to protest in Juba and beyond, fighting for better living conditions. “Officers like the one who fainted may not realize that the youth are fighting for a better life for all South Sudanese,” said a youth protester who declined to be named.
A senior army general contacted by The Jubamirror said, “We have failed the country. The only alternative to save the people of South Sudan from us is for the younger generation to come out and protest. That is the only way to help. There is no country where civil servants and organized forces go for 10 months without salaries except South Sudan.”
