President Salva Kiir’s assertion that foreign actors who helped secure his country’s independence are destabilizing the nation in pursuit of compensation for their contribution in the struggle ought to be investigated. Fighting broke out in the Republic of South Sudan barely three years after its independence. It is no secret that the war in the country accrues from a multiplicity of both internal factors (such as the politics of exclusion, corruption and self-seeking) and external factors such as the West versus China dominance struggle and resource control).

Already, more than one million citizens of South Sudan perished during the 60 years struggle for independence in the hope for a better future. The young African nation should learn draw from the experiences of others in order to get on its feet. The warring factions should invest in sobriety, avoid sacrificing the young state on the altar of short term gains and appreciate  the concerted efforts – both internal and external that led to its rebirth.

It’s time for the African Union to put in practice the long held view of “African Solutions to African Problems.”  To halt and prevent recurrent conflicts in Africa; it is important for leaders on the continent to learn how to navigate global interests. Playing one side against the other simply subjects the lives of the innocent to side effects of global competition. For the sake of South Sudan and all conflict-afflicted regions in Africa; it is time we learnt how to run multilateral approaches to both internal and international interests.