South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, is distant from and very different to Lebanon in practically every respect. The World Bank estimates that the South Sudanese GDP contracted by 56 percent to $9.3 billion in 2012. According to warnings by the US State Department, the risk of violent crime is high in the capital Juba and carjacking and banditry occur regularly outside of the city. And the country’s 7,000-kilometer road network, of which all of 60 km have been paved, makes Lebanese highway infrastructure look like Switzerland by comparison. When South Sudan celebrated the second anniversary of its independence this July, however, the country’s top officials and visiting dignitaries benefited from automotive security made in Lebanon. This is owing to the ingenuity and expertise of Beirut-based M. Special Car Armoring (MSCA), which according to general manager Christelle Yared is one of the longest-established producers of armored sedans and sports utility
