For many South Sudanese, three dates will forever remain embedded in their collective memories and psyche — January 9, 2011, July 9, 2011 and December 15, 2013.

The first two dates, which are six months apart, capture their collective imagination, desires and herald their national rebirth in the wake of a catastrophic journey that spanned close to 50 years.

But the third date will forever live in Infamy — the December 15, 2013 — it was that day that the devil came calling as the first gunshots were fired outside the Nyakuron Cultural Centre in Juba.

On January 9, 2011 an overwhelming majority, universally adjudged to have been a genuine reflection of their wish. On this day close to 98 per cent of the people of the Southern Sudan voted to secede from Sudan in a referendum.

On July 9, 2011 amid universal acclaim and an overwhelming display of outmost joy and pride, perhaps unfathomed apprehensions and trepidations; the world’s newest nation was proclaimed.

The people of South Sudan had joyously grasped their dignity, pride and destiny. They were on the cusps of a major transition — Independence and all that it entailed.

In the preceding six years since the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed in Nairobi after nearly five years of intense on and off negotiations between the chief protagonists, the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) of the late John Garang and the National Islamic Front government of the Republic of Sudan of President Omar Bashir many analysts and observers were jittery that the accord would unravel.

That the Comprehensive Peace Agreement held despite the many threats and challenges was in no measure, attributed to the tenacity and single-minded, almost tunnel vision commitment of the Southern Sudanese leadership under the then 1st Vice-President of Sudan and President of Southern Suda, General Salva Kiir Mayardit.

Perhaps and in retrospect that was to be a rare departure, for those heady days of enthusiasm, unbridled pride and accomplishment were in a strange twist of fate, the harbinger of the current doomsday scenarios engulfing the people of South Sudan — a putative Independent country that is on the verge of unravelling.

The people and the government of South Sudan are staring at death and destruction barely three years on. They are on the brink of a catastrophe at the blink of an eye.

READ: The status of the South Sudan mediation process

On December 15, 2013, the centre snapped and the long-simmering and vicious power struggle within the ruling Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement/Army came to a head, and with it the burble bust with a vengeance.

National catastrophe

In the nearly seven months since the first gunshots were fired in anger in the capital Juba, the ethnic-driven and led evil genie is alive and a new national catastrophe lurks — thousands dead, perhaps tens of thousands.

Hundreds of thousands hurdled together in almost certain death camps; millions facing a humanitarian tragedy, hunger and displacement with the international community all but unable to act and the legitimate of South Sudan all but impotent, and the rebel faction in disarray — and the regional countries caught flat footed, it’s the devil’s stew.

It was a cruel turn of events less than the glorious moments of three years ago — when it all began.

When the first gunshots were fired outside the Convention Hall in Juba at the tail-end of an ostensibly long-delayed the ruling party’s National Governing Convention on December 15, 2013, South Sudan’s day of infamy was born.

Only time and engagement including effective deterrence military measures, economic and political sanctions and action by the international community will arrest and hopefully, bottle the evil genie of ethnic political power competition in South Sudan will be destroyed.

For the moment South Sudanese peoples’ existence hangs by a thread, a very thin one at that; and all but in a name is short, brutish and horrifying as the warring principles rally their death-ware and dig in for an even bigger, bitter and widespread carnage.

In a space of 36 months South Sudan’s dream has turned into a veritable night-mare, the deep joy pride and gang-hu attitude has turned full-cycle and turned into – deep shame, depression and desperation as the ever tall and proud deportment has turned into a down-cast stare, lethargy and humiliation.

Such is the fate that has befallen these proud, stoical and strong people courtesy of a political-cum-military leadership that is shorn of all vestiges of modicum of humanity but driven by insatiable quest for personal power, greed and hubris including vanity that is ready to trample on and crush everyone and everything in their way no matter the cost – everything and anything is expendable but their inflated egos.

In the prevailing scheme of things, this warring top leadership has mutated into three distinct factions one, the legitimate and increasingly discredited ruling group tenuously in power in Juba and the majority parts of the country; the increasingly disparate, unyielding and un co-ordinated faction in the bush, and the opportunistic albeit recently released ambitious group of ten former top functionaries operating between Nairobi and Addis Ababa.

As these groups seek to compete, jostle and hustle for diplomatic, political currency and support internally and externally, and former two; engage in military action on the ground including arms stock-pilling, recruitment and deployment, the fate of their beloved country is rapidly spiralling out of control and hurtling down into oblivion.

Have the gods forgotten the people of South Sudan, so soon after having smiled on them, after so long a wait; and after too high a cost?

Hopefully its’ not too late – maybe, the gods have not forsaken the people of South Sudan and as the 9th July 2014 draws closer, the 3rd anniversary of their Independence; sanity may prevail once again.