SOUTH SUDAN [wikipedia profile]
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the former autonomous regions within Sudan, see Southern
Sudan Autonomous Region (1972–83) and Southern
Sudan Autonomous Region (2005–11).
Republic of South Sudan
جمهورية جنوب السودان |
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Motto: "Justice, Liberty,
Prosperity"
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Anthem: "South Sudan Oyee!"
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Capital
and largest city |
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Official
languages
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Recognised
national languages
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Arabic
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Bari
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Dinka
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Luo
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Murle
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Nuer
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Zande
and around
60 other languages
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Legislature
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Establishment
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End of Anglo-Egyptian
Sudan
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31
December 1955
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6 January
2005
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9 July
2005
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9 July
2011
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Total
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619,745 km2 (42nd)
239,285 sq mi
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2015 estimate
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12,340,000[3]
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2008 census
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Density
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13.33/km2 (214th)
34.52/sq mi |
2016 estimate
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Total
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$22.880 billion[5]
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Per capita
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$1,886[5]
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GDP (nominal)
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2016 estimate
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Total
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$13.825
billion[5]
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Per capita
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$1,139[5]
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Gini (2009)
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45.5[6]
medium |
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Currency
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Time zone
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right
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a.
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Registered,
but not yet operational.
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0.467
South Sudan (
i/ˌsaʊθ suˈdɑːn, -ˈdæn/),[10][11] officially the Republic of South Sudan,[12] is a landlocked country in northeastern Africa that gained its independence from Sudan in 2011.[13] Its current capital is Juba,
which is also its largest city. It is planned that the capital city will be
changed to the more centrally located Ramciel in
the future.[14] South Sudan is bordered by Sudan to the
north, Ethiopia to
the east, Kenya to the southeast, Uganda to
the south, the Democratic
Republic of the Congo to
the southwest, and the Central African
Republic to the west. It
includes the vast swamp region of the Sudd,
formed by the White Nile and known locally as the Bahr al Jabal.
i/ˌsaʊθ suˈdɑːn, -ˈdæn/),[10][11] officially the Republic of South Sudan,[12] is a landlocked country in northeastern Africa that gained its independence from Sudan in 2011.[13] Its current capital is Juba,
which is also its largest city. It is planned that the capital city will be
changed to the more centrally located Ramciel in
the future.[14] South Sudan is bordered by Sudan to the
north, Ethiopia to
the east, Kenya to the southeast, Uganda to
the south, the Democratic
Republic of the Congo to
the southwest, and the Central African
Republic to the west. It
includes the vast swamp region of the Sudd,
formed by the White Nile and known locally as the Bahr al Jabal.
The territories of modern South Sudan and the Republic of
the Sudan were occupied by Egypt under the Muhammad Ali
Dynasty, and later governed as an Anglo-Egyptian condominium until Sudanese independence was
achieved in 1956.
Following the First Sudanese
Civil War, the Southern
Sudan Autonomous Region was
formed in 1972 and lasted until 1983. A Second
Sudanese Civil War soon
developed and ended with the Comprehensive
Peace Agreement of 2005.
Later that year, southern autonomy was restored when an Autonomous
Government of Southern Sudan was
formed.
South Sudan became an independent state on 9 July 2011, following a
referendum that passed
with 98.83% of the vote.[15][16] It is aUnited
Nations member state,[17][18] a member state of the African Union,[19] of the East African
Community,[20] and of theIntergovernmental
Authority on Development.[21] In July 2012, South Sudan signed the Geneva Conventions.[22] South Sudan has suffered internal
conflict since its
independence; it has the highest score on the
Fragile States
Index (formerly the Failed
States Index).
Chronology of South Sudan
The Nilotic people
of South Sudan—the Acholi, Anyuak, Bari, Dinka, Nuer, Shilluk, Kaligi (Arabic
Feroghe), Zande and
others—first entered South Sudan sometime before the 10th century. During the
period from the 15th to the 19th centuries, tribal migrations, largely from the
area of Bahr el Ghazal, brought the Anyuak Dinka, Nuer and Shilluk to
their modern locations of both Bahr El
Ghazal and Upper Nile Regions, while the Acholi and Bari settled in Equatoria.
The people of South Sudan—the Azande, Mundu,
Avukaya and Baka,
who entered South Sudan in the 16th century—established the region's largest
state of Equatorial Region.
The Dinka are the largest, Nuer the
second largest and Azande are
the third-largest ethnic group in South Sudan while the Bari are fourth-largest.
They are found in the Maridi,Yambio, and Tombura districts in the tropical rainforest belt of Western Equatoria, the Adio of Azande
client in Yei, Central Equatoria and Western Bahr el
Ghazal. In the 18th century, the Avungara sib rose to power over the rest of Azande
society and this domination continued into the 20th century.[23] Geographical barriers, including the
swamplands along the White Nile and the British preference for sending
Christian missionaries to the southern regions, including its Closed District
Ordinance of 1922 (see History
of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan), helped to prevent the spread of Islam to
the southerners, thus enabling them to retain their social and cultural
heritage, as well as their political and religious institutions. The major
reasons include the long history of British policy preference toward developing
the Arab north and its ignoring the Black south. After Sudan's first
independent elections in 1958, the continued ignoring of the south by Khartoum (lack
of schools, roads, bridges) led to uprisings, revolt and the longest civil war
on the continent.[24][25]
As of 2012, peoples include Acholi, Anyuak, Azande, Baka,
Balanda Bviri, Bari, Boya, Didinga, Dinka,
Jiye, Kaligi (Arabic Faroghe), Kuku, Lotuka, Mundari, Murie, Nilotic, Nuer, Shilluk, Toposa and
Zande.[26]
Slavery had been an
institution of Sudanese life throughout history.[27] The slave trade in the south intensified
in the 19th century and continued after the British had suppressed slavery in
much of sub-Saharan Africa. Annual Sudanese slave raids into non-Muslim territories resulted
in the capture of countless thousands of southern Sudanese, and the destruction
of the region's stability and economy.[28]
John Garang de Mabiorled
the Sudan
People's Liberation Army until
his death in 2005.
The Azande have had good relations with the neighbors,
namely the Moru, Mundu, Pöjulu, Avukaya, Baka and the small groups
in Bahr el Ghazal, due to the expansionist policy of their king Gbudwe, in the 18th century. In the 19th
century, the Azande fought the French, the Belgians and
the Mahdists to
maintain their independence. Egypt,
under the rule of Khedive Ismail Pasha, first attempted to control
the region in the 1870s, establishing the province of Equatoria in
the southern portion. Egypt's first governor was Samuel Baker, commissioned in 1869,
followed by Charles George
Gordon in 1874 and by Emin Pasha in 1878.[29]
The Mahdist Revolt of the 1880s destabilized the nascent
province, and Equatoria ceased to exist as an Egyptian outpost in 1889.
Important settlements in Equatoria included Lado, Gondokoro, Dufile and Wadelai. European colonial maneuverings in
the region came to a head in 1898, when the Fashoda Incident occurred at present-day Kodok;
Britain and France almost went to war over the region.[29] In 1947, British hopes to join South
Sudan with Uganda as
well as, leaving Western Equatoria as part of The
Democratic Republic of Congo were dashed by the Rajaf
Conferenceto unify North and South Sudan.
South Sudan has an estimated population of 8 million,[30] but, given the lack of a census in
several decades, this estimate may be severely distorted. The economy is
predominantly rural and relies chiefly on subsistence farming.[30] Around 2005, the economy began a
transition from this rural dominance, and urban areas within South Sudan have
seen extensive development.
The region has been negatively affected by two civil wars
since Sudanese independence: from 1955 to 1972, the Sudanese government fought
the Anyanya rebel army (Anya-Nya is a term in
the Madi language which means 'snake venom')[31] during the First Sudanese
Civil War, followed by the Sudan
People's Liberation Army / Movement (SPLA/M) in the Second
Sudanese Civil War for over twenty years. As a result, the country
suffered serious neglect, a lack of infrastructural development and major
destruction and displacement. More than 2.5 million people
have been killed and millions more have become refugees both within and outside the
country.
Independence (09jul2011)
A South Sudanese girl at independence festivities
Between 9 and 15 January 2011, a referendum was
held to determine whether South Sudan should become an independent country and
separate from Sudan. 98.83% of the population voted for independence.[32] Those living in the north and
expatriates living overseas also voted.[33] South Sudan formally became independent
from Sudan on 9 July, although certain disputes still remained, including the
division of oil revenues, as 75% of all the former Sudan's oil reserves are in
South Sudan.[34] The region of Abyei still remains disputed and a separate
referendum will be held in Abyei on whether they want to join Sudan or South
Sudan.[35] The South Kordofan
conflict broke out in
June 2011 between the Army of
Sudan and the SPLA
over the Nuba Mountains.
South Sudan is at war with at least seven armed groups in
9 of its 10 states, with tens of thousands displaced.[36] The fighters accuse the government of
plotting to stay in power indefinitely, not fairly representing and supporting
all tribal groups while neglecting development in rural areas.[36][37] Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance
Army (LRA) also
operates in a wide area that includes South Sudan.[38]
Inter-ethnic warfare that in some cases predates the war
of independence is widespread. In December 2011, tribal
clashes in Jongleiintensified between the Nuer White Army of the Lou Nuer and
the Murle.[39] The White Army warned it would wipe out
the Murle and would also fight South Sudanese and UN
forces sent to the
area around Pibor.[40]
In March 2012, South Sudanese forces seized the Heglig oil
fields in lands claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan in the province ofSouth Kordofan after conflict
with Sudanese forces in
the South Sudanese state of Unity.[41] South Sudan withdrew on 20 March, and
the Sudanese Army entered Heglig two days later.
The South Sudanese Civil war (2013–present)
Military situation in South Sudan as of 1 April
2016
Under control of the Government of South
Sudan
Under control of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition
Under control of the Government of Sudan
In December 2013, a political power struggle broke out
between President Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar, as the president
accused Mr. Machar and ten others of attempting a coup
d'état.[42] Fighting broke out, igniting the South Sudanese
Civil War. Ugandan troops were deployed to fight alongside South
Sudanese government forces against the rebels.[43] Numerous ceasefires were mediated by IGAD between the SPLM and SPLM - in opposition and were subsequently broken. A peace
agreement was signed in Ethiopia under threat of United Nations sanctions for
both sides in August 2015.[44]
Machar returned to Juba in 2016 and was appointed vice
president.[45]
Up to 300,000 people are estimated to
have been killed in the war, including notable atrocities such as
the 2014 Bentiu
massacre.[46][47]Although both men have supporters from
across South Sudan's ethnic divides, subsequent fighting has been communal,
with rebels targeting members of Mr Kiir's Dinka ethnic group and government
soldiers attacking Nuers.[48] More than 1,000,000 people have been
displaced inside South Sudan and more than 400,000 people have fled to
neighbouring countries,[49] especially Kenya, Sudan, and Uganda, as
a result of the conflict.[50]
The government is meant to oversee a transitional period
leading up to elections in 30 months - a possible future source of tension
given Machar's seeming determination to become president and President Salva
Kiir's apparent refusal to support it.[51]
Politics
Government
Salva Kiir
Mayardit, the first President of South Sudan. His trademark hat was
a gift from United States President George W. Bush.
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South Sudan's presidential guard on Independence Day,
2011
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The now-defunct Southern
Sudan Legislative Assembly ratified
a transitional
constitution[52] shortly before independence on 9 July
2011.[53] The constitution was signed by the President of
South Sudan on
Independence Day and thereby came into force. It is now the supreme law of the
land, superseding the Interim Constitution of 2005.[54]
The constitution establishes a mixed presidential system of government headed by a president
who is head of state, head of government,
and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. It also establishes the National
Legislature comprising
two houses: a directly elected assembly, the National
Legislative Assembly; and a second chamber of representatives of the
states, the Council
of States.
John Garang, the
founder of the SPLA/M was the first president of the autonomous government
until his death on 30 July 2005. Salva Kiir Mayardit,[12] his deputy, was sworn in as First
Vice President of Sudan and President
of the Government of Southern Sudan on 11 August 2005. Riek Machar[12] replaced him as Vice-President of the Government.
Legislative power is vested in the government and the bicameral National
Legislature. The constitution also provides for an independent judiciary, the
highest organ being the Supreme Court.
Developing state capacity
The post-conflict environment is important to
understanding the Government of South Sudan's ability to function and
successfully implement its policies. The Government of South Sudan has had
significant success in building its own capacity by developing an integrated
system for planning and budget preparation.[55] This has been achieved through the
leadership of the Ministry of Finance,
the strong technical leadership and support of that same ministry and making
these goals relevant to local capacity.[55] The results have been that the
government has been better able to manage the financial aspects of its
functions and projects, and increases in the expertise of its staff in crucial
skills, such as basic IT.[55]
National capital project
The capital of South Sudan is located at Juba,
which is also the state capital of Central Equatoria and the county seat of the eponymousJuba County, as well as being the country's
largest city. However, due to Juba's poor infrastructure and massive urban
growth, as well as its lack of centrality within South Sudan, the South
Sudanese Government adopted a resolution in February 2011 to study the creation
of a new planned city to serve as the seat of government.[56][57] This proposal is functionally similar to
construction projects in Abuja, Nigeria;Brasília, Brazil; and Canberra, Australia; among other modern-era planned
national capitals. It is unclear how the government will fund the project.
In September 2011, a spokesman for the government said the
country's political leaders had accepted a proposal to build a new capital atRamciel,[58] a place in Lakes state
near the borders with Central Equatoria and Jonglei. Ramciel is considered to be the
geographical center of the country,[59] and the late pro-independence leader John Garang allegedly had plans to relocate the
capital there before his death in 2005. The proposal was supported by the Lakes
state government and at least one Ramciel tribal chief.[60] The design, planning, and construction
of the city will likely take as many as five years, government ministers said,
and the move of national institutions to the new capital will be implemented in
stages.[58]
STATES
2015-present
The 28 states of South Sudan as established in 2015
In October 2015, South Sudan's President Salva Kiir
issued a decree establishing 28 states in place of the 10 constitutionally
established states.[61] The decree established the new states
largely along ethnic lines. A number of opposition parties and civil society
challenged the constitutionality of this decree and Kiir later resolved to take
it to parliament for approval as a constitutional amendment.[62]in November the South Sudanese
parliament empowered President Kiir to create new states.[63]
Bar el Ghazal
1.
Aweil
2.
Aweil East
4.
Gogrial
5.
Gok
6.
Lol
7.
Tonj
8.
Twic
9.
Wau
10.
Western Lakes
Equatoria[edit]
1.
Amadi
2.
Gbudwe
3.
Imatong
5.
Maridi
6.
Namorunyang
7.
Terekeka
8.
Yei River
Greater Upper Nile[edit]
1.
Boma
2.
Eastern Bieh
3.
Eastern Nile
4.
Jonglei
5.
Latjoor
7.
Ruweng
9.
Western Bieh
10.
Western Nile
The Abyei
Area, a small region of Sudan bordering on the South Sudanese states
of Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Warrap, and Unity, currently has a special
administrative status in Sudan and is governed by an Abyei Area
Administration. It was due to hold a referendum in 2011 on whether to join South Sudan
or remain part of the Republic of Sudan, but in May the Sudanese military
seized Abyei, and it is not clear if the referendum will be held.
Military
A Defense paper was initiated in 2007 by then Minister
for SPLA Affairs Dominic Dim Deng, and a draft was produced
in 2008. It declared that Southern Sudan would eventually maintain land, air,
and riverine forces.[64][65]
Media
While former Information Minister Barnaba Marial
Benjamin vowed that
South Sudan will respect freedom of the
press and allow
journalists unrestricted access in the country, the chief editor of Juba newspaper The Citizen claimed that in the absence of a
formal media law in the fledgling republic, he and his staff have faced abuse
at the hands of security forces. This alleged fettering of media freedom was
attributed in an Al Jazeera report to the difficulty SPLM has faced in reforming itself as a
legitimate government after years of leading a rebellion against the Sudanese
government. The Citizen is South Sudan's largest newspaper,
but poor infrastructure and poverty have kept its staff relatively small and
limited the efficiency of both its reporting and its circulation outside of
Juba, with no dedicated news bureaus in outlying states and newspapers often
taking several days to reach states like Northern Bahr el
Ghazal.[67]
Censorship
On 1 November 2011, South Sudan's National Security
Services (NSS) arrested the editor of a private Juba-based daily, Destiny, and suspended its
activities indefinitely. This was in response to an opinion article by
columnist Dengdit Ayok, entitled "Let Me Say So", which criticized
the president for allowing his daughter to marry an Ethiopian national, and
accused him of "staining his patriotism". An official letter accused
the newspaper of breaking "the media code of conduct and professional
ethics", and of publishing "illicit news" that was defamatory,
inciting, and invading the privacy of personalities. The Committee
to Protect Journalists had
voiced concerns over media freedoms in South Sudan in September.[68] The NSS released the journalists without
charge after having been held for 18 days.[69]
In 2015, Salva Kiir threatened to kill journalists who
reported, "against the country".[70] Work conditions have become terrible for
journalists, and many have left the country. Documentary filmmaker Ochan
Hannington is one of them.[71] In August 2015, after journalist Peter
Moi was killed in a targeted attack, being the seventh journalist killed during
the year, South Sudanese journalists held a 24-hour news blackout.[72]
Foreign relations
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets with President Salva Kiir,
May 26, 2013
Since independence, relations with Sudan have been
changing. Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir first announced, in January 2011, that
dual citizenship in the North and the South would be allowed,[73] but upon the independence of South Sudan
he retracted the offer. He has also suggested an EU-style confederation.[74] Essam Sharaf, Prime Minister of Egypt after
the 2011 Egyptian
revolution, made his first foreign visit to Khartoum and Juba in the lead-up to South Sudan's
secession.[75] Israel quickly
recognized South Sudan as an independent country,[76] and is host to thousands of refugees
from South Sudan,[77] who now face deportation to their native
country.[78][79]Egypt, Sudan, Germany and Kenya were first to recognise the country's
independence on 8 July 2011.[citation needed]
South Sudan is a member state of the United Nations,[80] the African Union,[19][81] and the Common
Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.[82] South Sudan plans to join the Commonwealth of
Nations,[83] the East African
Community,[84][85][86] the International
Monetary Fund,[87] and the World Bank.[88]
Full membership in the Arab League has been assured, should the country's
government choose to seek it,[89] though it could also opt for observer
status.[90] It was admitted to UNESCO on 3 November
2011.[91] On 25 November 2011, it officially
joined the Intergovernmental
Authority on Development, a regional grouping of East African states.[92]
The United States supported the 2011 referendum on South
Sudan's independence. The New
York Times reported that
"South Sudan is in many ways an American creation, carved out of war-torn
Sudan in a referendum largely orchestrated by the United States, its fragile
institutions nurtured with billions of dollars in American aid."[93] The U.S. government’s long-standing
sanctions against the Sudan were officially removed from applicability to newly
independent South Sudan in December 2011, and senior RSS officials participated
in a high-level international engagement conference in Washington, D.C., to
help connect foreign investors with the RSS and South Sudanese private sector
representatives.[94] Given the interdependence between some
sectors of the economy of the Republic of South Sudan and the Republic of
Sudan, certain activities still require OFAC authorization. Absent a license,
current Sudanese sanction regulations will continue to prohibit U.S. persons
from dealing in property and interests that benefit Sudan or the Government of
Sudan.[95] A 2011 Congressional Research Service
report, "The Republic of South Sudan: Opportunities and Challenges for
Africa’s Newest Country", identifies outstanding political and
humanitarian issues as the country forges its future.[96]
Human rights
Campaigns of atrocities against civilians have been
attributed to the SPLA.[97] In the SPLA/M's attempt to disarm
rebellions among the Shilluk and Murle, they burned scores of villages, raped hundreds of women and girls and killed
an untold number of civilians.[98] Civilians alleging torture claim
fingernails being torn out, burning plastic bags dripped on children to make
their parents hand over weapons and villagers burned alive in their huts if
rebels were suspected of spending the night there.[98] In May 2011, the SPLA allegedly set fire
to over 7,000 homes in Unity State.[99]
The UN reports many of these violations and the
frustrated director of one Juba-based international aid agency calls them
"human rights abuses off the Richter scale".[98] In 2010, the CIA issued a warning that "over the
next five years,...a new mass killing or genocide
is most likely to occur in southern Sudan."[98] The Nuer White Army has stated it wished
to "wipe out the
entire Murle tribe on the face of the earth as the only solution to guarantee
long-term security of Nuer’s cattle"[40] and activists, including Minority
Rights Group International, warned of genocide in Jonglei.[100]
Peter Abdul Rahaman Sule, the leader of the key
opposition group United
Democratic Forum, has been under arrest since 3 November 2011 over
allegations linking him to the formation of a new rebel group fighting against
the government.[101][102]
Recruitment of child soldiers has also been cited as a serious
problem in the country.[104] In April 2014, Navi Pillay, then the UN High Commissioner
for Human Rights, stated that more than 9,000 child soldiers had been fighting
in South Sudan's civil war.[105]
The United Nations rights office has described the
situation in the country as "one of the most horrendous human rights situations in the world."
It accused the army and allied militias as allowing fighters to rape women as
form of payment, as well as raid cattle in an agreement of "do what you
can, take what you can."[106] Amnesty international claimed the army
suffocated to death in a shipping container more than 60 people accused of
supporting the opposition.[107]
Geography
South Sudan lies between latitudes 3° and 13°N, and
longitudes 24° and 36°E. It
is covered in tropical forest, swamps, and grassland. The White Nile passes through the country, passing by
Juba.[73]
Biodiversity
South Sudan's protected area of Bandingilo
National Park hosts
the second-largest wildlife migration
in the world. Surveys have revealed that Boma National Park,
west of the Ethiopian border, as well as the Sudd
wetland and Southern National
Park near the border
with Congo, provided habitat for large populations of hartebeest, kob, topi, buffalo, elephants, giraffes, and lions.
South Sudan's forest reserves also provided habitat for bongo, giant forest hogs, red river hogs, forest elephants, chimpanzees, and forest monkeys. Surveys begun in 2005 by WCS in partnership with the
semi-autonomous government of Southern Sudan revealed that significant, though
diminished wildlife populations still exist, and that, astonishingly, the huge
migration of 1.3 million antelopes in the southeast is substantially
intact.
Habitats in the country include grasslands, high-altitude
plateaus and escarpments, wooded and grassy savannas, floodplains, and
wetlands. Associated wildlife species include the endemic white-eared kob and Nile Lechwe, as well as elephants, giraffes, common eland, giant eland, oryx,
lions, African wild dogs, cape buffalo, and topi
(locally called tiang). Little is known about the white-eared kob and tiang,
both types of antelope, whose magnificent migrations were
legendary before the civil war. The Boma-Jonglei Landscape region encompasses
Boma National Park, broad pasturelands and floodplains, Bandingilo National
Park, and the Sudd, a vast area of swamp and seasonally flooded grasslands that
includes the Zeraf Wildlife Reserve.
Little is known of the fungi of South Sudan. A list of
fungi in Sudan was prepared by S.A.J. Tarr and published by the then
Commonwealth Mycological Institute (Kew, Surrey, UK) in 1955. The list, of 383
species in 175 genera, included all fungi observed within the then boundaries
of the country. Many of those records relate to what is now South Sudan. Most
of the species recorded were associated with diseases of crops. The true number
of species of fungi in South Sudan is probably much higher.
In 2006, President Kiir announced that his government
would do everything possible to protect and propagate South Sudanese fauna and
flora, and seek to reduce the effects of wildfires, waste dumping, and water
pollution. The environment is threatened by the development of the economy and
infrastructure.
Several ecoregions extend across South Sudan: the East Sudanian
savanna, Northern
Congolian forest-savanna mosaic, Saharan
flooded grasslands (Sudd), Sahelian Acacia
savanna, East
African montane forests, and the Northern Acacia-Commiphora bushlands and
thickets.[108]
Climate
South Sudan map of Köppen climate classification.South Sudan has a climate similar to an Equatorial or
tropical climate, characterized by a rainy season of high humidity and large
amounts of rainfall followed by a drier season. The temperature on average is
always high with July being the coolest month with an average temperatures
falling between 20 and 30 °C (68 and 86 °F) and March being the
warmest month with average temperatures ranging from 23 to 37 °C (73 to
98 °F).[109]
The most rainfall is seen between May and October, but
the rainy season can commence in April and extend until November. On average
May is the wettest month. The season is "influenced by the annual shift of
the Inter-Tropical Zone"[12] and the shift to southerly and
southwesterly winds leading to slightly lower temperatures, higher humidity,
and more cloud coverage.[110]
Demographics
South Sudan has a population of approximately 8 to 10
million (the exact figure is disputed) and a predominantly rural, subsistence
economy. This region has been negatively affected by war for all but 10 of the
years since 1956, resulting in serious neglect, lack of infrastructure development, and major destruction and
displacement. More than 2 million people have died, and more than 4 million are internally
displaced persons or
became refugees as
a result of the civil war and its impact.
Urbanization
Largest cities or towns in South Sudan
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Rank
|
Pop.
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1
|
300 000
|
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2
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160 765
|
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3
|
127 384
|
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4
|
40 382
|
||
5
|
40 382
|
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6
|
38 745
|
||
7
|
|||
8
|
32 083
|
||
9
|
26 782
|
||
10
|
20 048
|
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Southern Sudan Interactive Radio Instruction project,
July 2010
Ethnic groups
The major ethnic groups present in South Sudan are the Dinka
at more than 1 million (approximately 15 percent combined), the Nuer(approximately ten percent), the Bari, and the Azande. The Shilluk constitute a historically
influential state along the White Nile, and their language is fairly closely
related to Dinka and Nuer. The traditional territories of
the Shilluk and the Northeastern Dinka are adjacent.
Education
Unlike the previous educational system of the regional
Southern Sudan—which was modelled after the system used in the Republic of
Sudan since 1990—the current educational system of the Republic of South Sudan
follows the 8
+ 4 + 4 system (similar to
Kenya). Primary education consists of eight years, followed by four years of secondary education,
and then four years of university instruction.
The primary language at all levels is English, as
compared to the Republic of Sudan, where the language of
instruction is Arabic.
In 2007 South Sudan adopted English as the official language of communication. There is a severe
shortage of English teachers and English-speaking teachers in the scientific
and technical fields.
Languages
There are over 60 indigenous languages, most classified
under the Nilo-Saharan Language
family; collectively, they represent two of the first order
divisions of Nile Sudanic and Central Sudanic.
In the border region between Western Bahr Al Ghazal state
and Sudan are an indeterminate number of people from West African countries who
settled here on their way back from Mecca—who
have assumed a traditionally nomadic life—that
resides either seasonally or permanently. They primarily speak Chadian languages and their traditional territories are in
the southern portions of the Sudanese regions of Northern Kordofan and Darfur.
In the capital, Juba, there are several thousand people
who use non-classical Arabic, usually a pidgin called Juba Arabic, but South Sudan's ambassador
to Kenya said on 2 August 2011 that Swahili will
be introduced in South Sudan with the goal of supplanting Arabic as a lingua franca, in keeping with the
country's intention of orientation toward theEast African
Community rather than
Sudan and the Arab League.[111]
Population;
2008 census
The "Fifth Population and Housing Census of
Sudan", for Sudan as a whole, was conducted in April 2008. The census
counted the Southern Sudan population at 8.26 million;[4][112] However, Southern Sudanese officials
rejected the census results of Southern Sudan because "the central bureau
of statistics in Khartoum refused
to share the national Sudan raw census data with the southern Sudan centre for
census, statistics and evaluation."[113]
In addition, President Kiir "suspected figures were
being deflated in some regions and inflated in others, and that made the final
tally 'unacceptable'."[114] He claimed that the Southern Sudanese
population actually constituted one-third of that of Sudan, though the census
showed it to be only 22%.[112]
Many southern Sudanese were also said to have been
uncounted "due to bad weather, poor communication and transport networks,
and some areas were unreachable, while many southern Sudanese remained in exile
in neighbouring countries, leading to 'unacceptable results', according [to] southern
Sudanese authorities."[114] The chief American technical adviser for
the census in the south said that the census-takers probably reached only 89%
of the population.[115]
2009 census
In 2009, Sudan initiated a Southern Sudanese census ahead
of the 2011 independence referendum, which would also include
the South Sudanese
diaspora; however, this initiative was criticised for leaving out
countries with a high share of the South Sudanese
diaspora, rather counting countries where the diaspora share was
low.[116]
Religion
Sunday Mass in the Roman
Catholic Diocese of Rumbek
Religions followed by the South Sudanese include
traditional indigenous religions, Christianity and Islam.[117][118] The last census to
mention the religion of southerners dates back to 1956 where a majority were
classified as following traditional beliefs or were Christian while
18% were Muslim.[119] Scholarly[120][121][122] and some U.S.
Department of State sources[30] state that a majority of southern
Sudanese maintain traditional indigenous (sometimes referred to as animist) beliefs with those following
Christianity in a minority (albeit an influential one), which would make South
Sudan one of the very few countries in the world where most people follow
traditional indigenous religion. However, according to the U.S. State
Department's International
Religious Freedom Report of
2012 the majority of the population adhere to Christianity, while reliable
statistics on animist and Muslim belief are not available.[123]
The Federal
Research Division of
the US Library of Congress states that "in the early 1990s
possibly no more than 10% of southern Sudan's population was Christian".[124] In the early 1990s, official records of
Sudan claimed that the population of what was then included as South Sudan, 25%
of people followed traditional religions and 5% were Christians.[125] However, some news reports claim a
Christian majority,[126][127] and the US
Episcopal Church claims
the existence of large numbers of Anglican adherents from theEpiscopal Church
of the Sudan: 2 million members in 2005.[128]
Likewise, according to the World Christian Encyclopedia,
the Catholic Church is the largest single Christian body
in Sudan since 1995, with 2.7 million Catholics mainly concentrated in South
Sudan.[129] A December 18, 2012 report on religion
and public life by the Pew Research Center states that in 2010, 60.5% of South
Sudan’s population was Christian, 32.9% were followers of traditional African
religion and 6.2% were Muslim.[130]
The Presbyterian
Church in Sudan is the
third largest denomination in Southern Sudan. It has about 1,000,000
members in 500 congregations.[131] Some publishers described the conflicts
prior to partition as a Muslim-Christian war, but others reject this notion,
claiming Muslim and Christian sides sometimes overlapped.[132]
Speaking at Saint Theresa Cathedral in Juba,
South Sudanese President Kiir, a Roman Catholic, said that
South Sudan would be a nation that respects freedom of religion.[133]Amongst Christians, most are Catholic
and Anglican, though other denominations are
also active, and animist beliefs
are often blended with Christian beliefs.[134]
Culture
Scarified tribeswoman, South Sudan, 2011
Due to the many years of the civil war, South Sudan's
culture is heavily influenced by its neighbors. Many South Sudanese fled to Ethiopia,Kenya and Uganda where
they interacted with the nationals and learned their languages and culture. For
most of those who remained in the country, or went north to Sudan and Egypt,
they greatly assimilated Arab culture.
Most South Sudanese value knowing one's tribal origin,
its traditional culture and dialect even
while in exile and diaspora. Although the common languages
spoken are Juba Arabic and English, Swahili is
being introduced to the population to improve the country's relations with its East African neighbors.
Music
Many music artists from South Sudan use English, Swahili,
Arabi Juba, their dialect or
a mix of all. Popular artists like Yaba Angelosi singsAfro-beat, R&B, and Zouk; Dynamq is popular for his reggae releases;
and Emmanuel
Kembe who sings folk, reggae and Afro-beat.Emmanuel Jal is one South Sudanese music artist who
has broken through on an international level[135] with his unique form of Hip Hop and
a positive message in his lyrics.[136]Jal, a former child soldier turned musician received good airplay
and album reviews in the UK[137] and has also been sought out for the
lecture circuit with major talks at popular talkfests like TED.[138]
Games and sports
South Sudan-born basketball playerLuol Deng
Association
football is also
becoming popular in South Sudan, and there are many initiatives by the
Government of South Sudan and other partners to promote the sport and improve
the level of play. One of these initiatives is South Sudan Youth Sports
Association (SSYSA). SSYSA is already holding football clinics in Konyokonyo
and Muniki areas of Juba in which young boys are coached. In recognition of
these efforts with youth football, the country recently hosted the CECAFA youth
football competitions. Barely a month earlier, it had also hosted the larger
East African Schools Sports tournaments.[citation
needed]
The South
Sudan national association football team joined the Confederation
of African Football in
February 2012 and became a full FIFAmember
in May 2012.[140] The team played its first match against Tusker FC of
the Kenyan Premier
League on 10 July 2011
in Juba as part of independence celebrations,[141] scoring early but losing 1–3 to the more
experienced team.[142] Famous South Sudanese footballers are James Moga, Richard Justin, Athir Thomas, Goma Genaro Awad, Khamis Leyano, Khamis Martin and Roy Gulwak.
In the modern era, South Sudanese have excelled in
international sports.[citation
needed] Luol Deng is
a National
Basketball Association star
in the United States, where he plays for the Los Angeles Lakers;
at the international level, he represents Great
Britain. Other leading international basketball players from South
Sudan include Manute Bol, Kueth Duany,Deng Gai, Ater Majok, and Thon Maker. The South
Sudan national basketball team played
its first match against the Uganda
national basketball team on
10 July 2011 in Juba.[141]
One athlete from South Sudan, Guor Marial, competed in the 2012 Summer
Olympics. Due to South Sudan not as yet possessing an official
Olympics organization, and Marial not yet possessing American citizenship, he,
along with three athletes from the former Netherlands
Antilles, competed under the banner of Independent Olympic Athletes.
On August 2, 2015 at the 128th IOC Session, South Sudan
was granted full recognition of its National
Olympic Committee. South Sudan will be able to compete as an
independent nation, marching in the Opening Ceremony behind its national flag,
and having its national anthem played if one of its athletes wins a gold medal.[143]
Economy[edit]
Main article: Economy of South
Sudan
See also: List
of companies based in South Sudan
Loka Teaks is the largest teak
plantation in Africa
The economy of South Sudan is one of the world's most
underdeveloped with South Sudan having little existing infrastructure and the
highest maternal mortality and female illiteracy rates in the world as of 2011.[144] South Sudan exports timber to the
international market. The region also contains many natural resources such as petroleum, iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold,diamonds, hardwoods, limestone and hydropower.[145] The country's economy, as in many other
developing countries, is heavily dependent on agriculture.
Other than natural resources-based companies, other such
organisations include Southern
Sudan Beverages Limited, a subsidiary ofSABMiller.
Oil
The oilfields in the south have been significant to the
economy since the latter part of the 20th century. South Sudan has the
third-largestoil reserves in Sub-Saharan Africa.[146] However, after South Sudan became an
independent nation in July 2011, southern and northern negotiators were not
immediately able to reach an agreement on how to split the revenue from these
southern oilfields.[147]
It is estimated that South Sudan has around 4 times the
oil deposits of Sudan. The oil revenues, according to the Comprehensive
Peace Agreement (CPA),
were split equally for the duration of the agreement period.[148] Since South Sudan relies on pipelines, refineries, and Port Sudan's facilities in Red Sea state
in Sudan, the agreement stated that the government of Sudan in Khartoum would receive a 50% share of all
oil revenues.[148][149] This arrangement was maintained during
the second
period of autonomy from
2005 to 2011.
In the run up to independence, northern negotiators
reportedly pressed for a deal maintaining the 50–50 split of oil revenues,
while the South Sudanese were holding out for more favorable terms.[149] Oil revenues constitute more than 98% of
the government of South Sudan's budget according to the southern government's
Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and this has amounted to more than $8
billion in revenue since the signing of the peace agreement.[148]
After independence, South Sudan objected to Sudan
charging US$34 per barrel to
transport oil through the pipeline to the oil terminal at Port Sudan. With
production of around 30,000 barrels per day, this was costing over a million
dollars per day. In January 2012, South Sudan suspended oil production, causing
a dramatic reduction in revenue and food costs to rise by 120%.[150]
China
National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC)
is a major investor in South Sudan's oil sector.[146] South Sudan's economy is under pressure
to diversify away from oil as oil reserves will likely halve by 2020 if no new
finds are made, according to the International
Monetary Fund (IMF).[151]
Debt
In terms of South Sudan’s external debt, Sudan and South
Sudan maintain a shared debt of approximately 38 billion dollars, all of which
has accumulated throughout the past five decades.[152] Though a small portion of this debt is
owed to such international institutions as the World Bank and the International
Monetary Fund (approximately 5.3 billion according to a 2009 report provided by
the Bank of Sudan), the bulk of its debt load is actually owed to numerous
foreign actors that have provided the nation with financial loans, including
the Paris Club (over 11 billion dollars) and also
non-Paris Club bilateral creditors (over 13 billion dollars).[153]
The Paris Club refers to an informal group of financial
officials from 19 of the world’s most influential economies, including such
member nations as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and
Canada, while non-Paris Club bilateral creditors refers to any entity that does
not enjoy permanent/associated status as a Paris Club member.[154] Private bilateral creditors (i.e.
private commercial banks and private credit suppliers) account for the majority
of the remainder (approximately 6 billion of the total debt).[155]
While it is possible to arrive at a relatively accurate
determination of the region’s total debt accumulation, it is not yet possible
to determine precisely how much debt the newly formed nation of South Sudan
independently carries, as an agreement has not yet been reached between Sudan
and South Sudan regarding this highly contentious issue.
East African Community[edit]
The presidents of Kenya and Rwanda invited the Autonomous
Government of Southern Sudan to
apply for membership upon the independence of South Sudan in 2011,[84][156]and South Sudan was reportedly an
applicant country as of mid-July 2011.[84][157] Analysts suggested that South Sudan's
early efforts to integrate infrastructure, including rail links and oil pipelines,[158] with systems in Kenya and Uganda
indicated intention on the part of Juba to
pivot away from dependence on Sudan and toward the EAC. Reutersconsiders South Sudan the likeliest
candidate for EAC expansion in the short term,[159] and an article in Tanzanian daily The Citizen that reported East
African Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdirahin
Haithar Abdi said
South Sudan was "free to join the EAC" asserted that analysts believe
the country will soon become a full member of the regional body.[160]
On 17 September 2011, the Daily Nation quoted a South Sudanese MP as saying
that while his government was eager to join the EAC, it would likely delay its
membership over concerns that its economy was not sufficiently developed to
compete with EAC member states and could become a "dumping ground"
for Kenyan, Tanzanian, and Ugandan exports.[161] This was contradicted by President Salva Kiir, who announced South Sudan had
officially embarked on the application process one month later.[162] The application was initially deferred by
the EAC in December 2012,[163] however incidents with Ugandan boda-boda operators
in South Sudan have created political tension and may delay the process.[164]
In December 2012, Tanzania officially agreed to South
Sudan’s bid to join the EAC, clearing the way for the world’s newest state to
become the regional bloc’s sixth member.[165]In May 2013 The EAC set aside $82,000
for the admission of South Sudan into the bloc even though admission may not
happen until 2016. The process, to start after the EAC Council of Ministers
meeting in August 2013, was projected to take at least four years. At the 14th
Ordinary Summit held in Nairobi in 2012, EAC heads of state approved the
verification report that was presented by the Council of Ministers, then
directed it to start the negotiation process with South Sudan.[166]
A team was formed to assess South Sudan's bid; however,
in April 2014, the nation requested a delay in the admissions process,
presumably due to ongoing
internal conflict.[167][168]
South Sudan's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Barnaba Marial
Benjamin, claimed publicly in October 2015 that, following evaluations and
meetings of a special technical committee in May, June, August, September and
October, the committee has recommended that South Sudan be allowed to join the
East African Community. Those recommendations, however, had not been officially
released to the public. It was reported that South Sudan could be admitted as
early as November 2015 when the heads of East African States had their summit
meeting.[169]
South Sudan was eventually approved for membership to the
bloc in March 2016,[170] and formally acceded with the signature
of the treaty in April 2016.[171]
Transport[edit]
A train travelling towards Wau
Two Mil Mi-17 helicopters
at Juba Airport
Railway
South Sudan has 248 km (154 mi) of single-track 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
gauge railway line from the Sudanese border to Wau terminus.
There are proposed extensions from Wau to Juba.
There are also plans to link Juba with the Kenyan and Ugandan railway networks.
Air
The busiest and most developed airport in South Sudan is Juba Airport, which has regular
international connections to Asmara,Entebbe, Nairobi, Cairo, Addis Ababa,
and Khartoum.
Juba Airport was also the home base of Feeder Airlines
Company andSouthern Star
Airlines.[172]
Other international airports include Malakal, with international flights to
Addis Ababa and Khartoum; Wau, with weekly service to Khartoum; and Rumbek, also with weekly flights to
Khartoum. Southern Sudan Airlines also serves Nimule and Akobo, which have unpaved runways. Several
smaller airports exist throughout South Sudan, the majority consisting of little
more than dirt runways.
On 4 April 2012, plans were unveiled to launch a South
Sudanese national airline, primarily for domestic service at first but
eventually expanding to international service.[173]
Humanitarian situation
South Sudan is acknowledged to have some of the worst
health indicators in the world.[174][175][176] The under-five infant mortality rate is 135.3 per 1,000, whilst maternal mortality is the highest in the world at 2,053.9
per 100,000 live births.[176] In 2004, there were only three surgeons
serving southern Sudan, with three proper hospitals, and in some areas there
was just one doctor for every 500,000 people.[174]
The epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in
the South Sudan is poorly documented but the prevalence is believed around
3.1%.[177] According to a 2013 study, South Sudan
"probably has the highest malaria burden
in sub-Saharan Africa".[178] South Sudan is one of the few countries
where dracunculiasis still occurs.[179][180][181]
At the time of the Comprehensive
Peace Agreement of
2005, humanitarian needs in Southern Sudan were massive. However, humanitarian
organizations under the leadership of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) managed to ensure sufficient
funding to bring relief to the local populations. Along with recovery and
development aid, humanitarian projects were included in the 2007 Work Plan of
the United Nations and partners. More than 90% of the population of South Sudan
live on less than $1 a day, despite the GDP per capita of the entirety of Sudan
being $1200 ($3.29/day).[182]
In 2007, the United Nations OCHA (under the leadership of Éliane Duthoit) decreased its involvement
in Southern Sudan, as humanitarian needs gradually diminished, slowly but
markedly turning over control to the recovery and development activities of
NGOs and community-based organisations.[183]
Famine reportedly led to deaths in Northern Bahr el
Ghazal and Warrap states
in mid-2011, though the state governments of both denied hunger there was
severe enough to cause fatalities.[184]
In Pibor County located in the Jonglei State, in December
2011 and January 2012, cattle raids led to border clashes that eventually
resulted in widespread ethnic
violence, with thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of South
Sudanese being displaced, and hundreds of Médecins Sans
Frontières staff went
missing. The government declared the area a disaster zone and took control from
local authorities.[185] South Sudan has a very high rate of child marriage.[186] Violence against
women is common in the
country, and South Sudan's laws and policies have been criticized as inadequate
in offering protection.[187][188]
Water crisis
About half the population does not have access to an improved water
source, defined as a protected well, standpipe or a handpump within
1 km. The few existing piped water supply systems are often not well
maintained and the water they provide is often not safe to drink. Displaced
people returning home put a huge strain on infrastructure, and the government
institutions in charge of the sector are weak. Substantial external funding
from numerous government agencies and non-governmental organizations is
available to improve water supply.
Numerous non-governmental organizations support water
supply in Southern Sudan, such as Water is Basic, the Obakki
Foundation[189] and Bridgton-Lake Region Rotary Club[190] from North America.
Refugees
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Jamam refugee camp
As of February 2014, South Sudan is host to over 230,000 refugees, with the vast majority, or over
209,000, having arrived recently from Sudan, because of the War in Darfur. Other African countries that
contribute the most refugees to South Sudan are the Central African Republic,
Ethiopia,and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[191] There are also 740,000 Internally
Displaced Persons (IDPs) in South Sudan since December 2013, almost 75,000 of
whom reside in UN bases. UNHCR has reported a drop in the number of IDPs
seeking protection, despite a growth in the overall IDP population in South
Sudan. Consequently, UNHCR is stepping up its response through an inter-agency
collaborative approach under the leadership of the Humanitarian Coordinator,
and working with the International Organization for Migration (IOM). In early
February 2013, UNHCR started distributing relief items outside the UN base in
Malakal, South Sudan, which is expected to reach 10,000 people.[191]
SEE ALSO
- Autonomous
Government of Southern Sudan, the autonomous government that
existed between 2005 and 2011.
- Southern Sudan Autonomous Region, the
autonomous government that existed between 1972 and 1983.
EXTERNAL LINKS
Ø South Sudan entry at The World Factbook
Ø South Sudan at DMOZ
Ø South Sudan profile from the BBC News.
Ø "Sudan's Shaky Peace", National
Geographic, November 2010.
Ø Peace Agreements signed by South Sudan, UN
Peacemaker
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