Two years after the establishment of South Sudan, huge challenges still stand in the way of South Sudanese to realize their aspirations for a better country.

Tribal conflicts, lack of economic resources, inter-ethnic disputes, and the slow pace of development and rehabilitation of infrastructures constitute major difficulties facing South Sudan, which was officially declared independent in July 2011.

"After two years of South Sudan's independence, nothing noteworthy has been achieved," David John, a South Sudanese political activist, told Xinhua by phone from Juba, capital of the country.

"Illiteracy and poverty are still commonplace and tribal conflicts are claiming thousands of lives. Corruption rates are high, the infrastructures are destroyed, the economy is collapsed, and a civilian state has not been achieved. In short, nothing has changed." he said.

Above all, John believes that the security situation is the major challenge confronting South Sudan. "If we take a look at what is going on in Jonglei, we would know the extent of the security deterioration due to tribal conflicts."

He pointed out that so far, the state has failed to contain the tribal conflicts and confiscate the arms from the tribesmen, as it failed to find settlement for the issues that ignite these conflicts.

He also pointed to the difficulties preventing South Sudan from achieving sustainable development. "South Sudan is facing challenges in building infrastructures, for its economic development is still at an early state."

He added "South Sudan has a long-running difference with Sudan over its oil exportation," referring to Sudan's demand of transport fees for the south's use of its pipelines, which weighs down on South Sudan's economic development.

However, the South Sudanese government sees it unfair to evaluate their performance in just two years, given that the government inherited challenges that take tens of years to overcome.

"Yes there are challenges and difficulties, and many of the aspirations have not been achieved, but we are talking about only two years. This won't be a fair assessment," Atim Garang, a leading member of the ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement ( SPLM), told Xinhua by phone.

"There are accomplishments in the education and health sectors, " he said, while admitting the pace in building infrastructures and developing the economy is slow, citing internal and external challenges.

He asserted "Sudan has imposed on us an economic siege, crippled the exportation of the south's oil and launched a war by proxy against us," adding "we cannot achieve the aspirations of our people without exploiting our oil resources."

Additionally, "the infrastructures have been destroyed by war and we need huge sums of money to rehabilitate them," he said.

Meanwhile, Garang downplayed the effects of the tribal conflicts in South Sudan, namely what is happening at Jonglei area, saying "the tribal conflicts are a natural outcome of the spread of arms."

Jonglei is currently witnessing violent conflict between Nuer and Murley tribes. The latest UN report said at least 888 people died in the clashes in last December and February this year.

Earlier this month, the UN Security Council renewed the UN mission in South Sudan for another year and urged peacekeepers to move more troops and equipment to volatile areas to better protect the civilians.

South Sudan was officially declared independent on July 9, 2011, following a referendum in which around 99 percent of the southerners voted for its secession from Sudan.