South Sudan is the world's newest country, having been subject to one of longest running civil conflicts in history. This complex war continues today.
Visually representing it’s people and the issues that affect them is a challenge, subject to complex debates about the nature of authentic documentation and representation; not least the moral and political implications of aestheticization.
Presented here are a selection of images from a range of perspectives; including aerial views, participatory images taken by members of the community, and my own images taken to illustrate the work of charities working in the area. Hopefully by examining images from these multiple perspectives we can begin to understand these communities and the complicated issues they are faced with.
Documenting the generations of Ex Child soldiers created by the conflict was a particular challenge, many are stolen from their families or displaced during the chaos of war. As these children grow older they often have no family to support them, no means to access education and no way to make a living. It is no surprise that many of these ex child combatants are forced to return to the only lives they know, lives supported by violence.
This cyclical relationship between the exploitation of youth and the continuation of violence is hard to interrupt, but only by breaking this pattern can long-term peace be achieved.
The images in this series were taken in several locations across the northern states of South Sudan, some in the town of Kuajok, and others in Leer, Unity State.
The Participatory Photo project was run with the NGO Saferworld, who have been implementing community peace building projects in the area.
The images of ex child soldiers were taken while documenting the work of the NGO Vetenares San Frontieres Suisse, supported by UNICEF. They are instigating a program where these ex child soldiers are given livestock; this livestock enables them to make a living without falling back into the hands of rebel forces or lawless groups.