It 's been almost two decades since I was separated from my family , my home and my past as a war child . Last year I was able to travel back to East Africa to find my parents , reconnect with others who survived the war and place my vote in the referendum that would eventually lead to the division of Sudan into two independent states . On July 9 2011 , the Republic of South Sudan was born . It 's hard to describe how I felt that day as I stood among tens of thousands of South Sudanese men , women and children waving our new flag and screaming `` South Oye ! Separation Oye ! '' Through two civil wars that lasted a total of 39 years , this is what we had hoped , prayed and fought for ; it was hard to believe it was happening in my lifetime . Yes , each one of us has fears , hopes and dreams about how we are transforming into a nation . As a citizen , I do n't mind us having to crawl and take small steps in our progress . Development is not a race and for it to be sustainable it should be holistic . We 're starting from scratch and have a lot of ground to cover . I was born into Sudan 's civil war and before I could read or write I was using an AK47 in the conflict between the Muslim north and Animist/Christian south over the land and natural resources . I protected myself , survived and ended up in the Western world where I had to play catch-up with youth who had much calmer childhoods . It was never easy , but I always tried my best and kept complaints out of my heart by holding tightly onto the hope that one day , I would read and write . This is a dream for many boys and girls who were born on the battlefields of Sudan simply because during the civil war there were no schools at all . Now there are a few in Juba and a significant need for more all across the country . My main concern for the newest nation in the world is not tribalism or corruption -- though they both exist , it 's the fact that we are still at war with the National Congress ( NCP ) of Sudan , the governing official party of Sudan , and this needs to be permanently addressed before moving onto smaller issues . Five months ago I went to South Sudan to vote and raise the flag on the soil of my new country . While we were beginning the countdown to independence the NCP , which is headed by Sudan President Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir , raided Abyei and forced innocent people from their land . Why ? Well , the region produces 70 % of our oil . As I write this article there are still many innocent people suffering and dying all across the country . If the International Criminal Court does not increase its pressure on President Al Bashir , a return to war and bloodshed over The Republic of South Sudan 's land and natural resources is very likely . That being said , I am very optimistic about the future of my country . We all feel a strong sense of ownership when we think of The Republic of South Sudan because everybody sacrificed and suffered to get us to where we are now . We need to feel the same sense of ownership towards finding solutions to our problems ; homemade solutions need to be found to fix what we messed up . To do this we need to work together with world powers while ensuring that the resulting plans hold the interests of South Sudan at heart . The Republic of South Sudan is still a baby ; our leaders should be willing to take small steps towards developments and not move too fast . The solutions we put into place need to be in line with our long-term interests while offering short-term relief , which is not always that easy to do . But if the government of South Sudan can provide security and education , the rest will begin to fall into place and matters such as finding alternative energy sources for Juba city can be taken care of . As the youngest nation in the world we have the advantage of learning from the experiences of others , starting with sustainable solutions from the beginning -- electricity made by generators can only take us so far ! With my fellow brothers I walked to Ethiopia barefoot without adequate food or water in the rain and burning sun , eating unripe mangoes and dodging the corpses of those who perished along the way . It took 18 years for me to find my way home again and through it , I was blessed to not experience any forms of physical war . But it became clear to me that human drama is unavoidable . All around the world there is corruption , tribalism and division , as many find it easier to pick on those that are different , which is why we need to hold tightly to the good in this world . We are all trying to make it the best way we know how , so when we look at each other as individuals and nations we should do so with compassion .
18 years ago , David Duany walked barefoot to Ethiopia from Sudan to escape its civil war . The former ` ` Lost Cause '' is optimistic about the future of South Sudan . ` ` Homemade solutions need to be found to fix what we messed up , '' he says . He fears a return to war with South Sudan 's northern neighbors .