South Sudan and South Sudanese News

South Sudan (officially the Republic of South Sudan) is a landlocked Country located in North Eastern Africa. South Sudan Comprises of 10 States which are further subdivided into 86 Counties.

Capital                                    Juba
Currency                                 South Sudanese Pound
Official Language                    English
Population                              8.5 Million (2010 Estimate)


History
The modern states of South Sudan and Sudan were part of Egypt under the Md Ali Dynasty later being governed as an Anglo-Egyptian Condominium until Sudanese independence was achieved in 1956.

First Sudanese Civil War(1955 -1972)

Following the ''First Sudanese Civil War''a conflict  between the northern part of Sudan and the southern Sudan Region that demanded representation and more regional autonomy. Half a million people died over the 17 years of war( 1955 to 1972)the 'Southern Sudan Autonomous Region' was formed in 1972 and lasted until 1983.

Second Sudanese Civil War (1983 -2005)
A Second Sudanese Civil War(1983-2005)started in 1983 between the Central Sudanese Govt and the Sudan People's Liberation Army(SPLA) fighting for independence of the southern Sudanese provinces and the conflict officially ended with the signing of Comprehensive peace Agreement in January 2005.

Autonomous Government of Southern Sudan
Later that year, Southern Autonomy was restored when an 'Autonomous Government of Southern Sudan' was formed that administered the 10 Southern States of Sudan  (between its formation in July 2005 and independence as the Republic of South Sudan on July 9, 2011) and  John Garang de Mabior the founder of the SPLA/M was the first President of the Autonomous Govt until his death on July 30, 2005

 Salva Kiir Mayardit,Deputy to John Garang  was sworn in as First Vice President of Sudan and President of the Govt of South Sudan on Aug 11,2005.

South Sudan Independence - July 09,2011 

 
A Referendum was held from Jan 09 -15,2011 to determine if South Sudan should declare its independence from Sudan, with 98.83% of the population voting for independence.The results for that referendum were released on 30 January 2011.Those living in the north and expatriates living overseas also voted.This led to a formal independence on 9 July, although certain disputes still remain such as sharing of the oil revenues as an estimated 80% of the oil in the nation is secured from South Sudan.The region of Abyei still remains disputed and a separate referendum will be held in Abyei on whether they want to join North or South Sudan.

                                                                       

Sudan and South Sudan Conflict
South Sudan's economy is highly oil-dependent and an estimated 75% of all the former Sudan's oil reserves are in South Sudan, the refineries and the pipeline to the Red Sea are in Sudan.Under the 2005 accord, South Sudan received 50% of the former united Sudan's oil proceeds, which provide the vast bulk of the country's budget.In January 2012, the breakdown of talks on the sharing of oil revenues led South Sudan to halt oil production and halve public spending on all but salaries.

In June 2008 Southern Sudanese leader Salva Kiir and Sudanese President Omar Bashir agree to seek international arbitration to resolve dispute over Abyei.

In March 2011 Govt of South Sudan says it is suspending talks with the North, accusing it of plotting a coup
In May 2011 North Sudan occupies disputed border region of Abyei.

In June 2011 Govts of North and South Sudan Sign Accord to Demilitarize the disputed Abyei Region and let in an Ethiopian Peacekeeping Force.

The South Kordofan Conflict  broke out in June 2011 between the Army of Sudan and the SPLA . South Sudan is at war with at least seven armed groups in nine of its ten states, with tens of thousands displaced.

In Sep 2011 South Sudan's cabinet votes to designate Ramciel - a planned city in Unity State - as the future capital.

Main Disputes Between Sudan and South Sudan

• Transit fees the South should pay Sudan to use its oil pipelines
• Demarcating the border
• Both sides claim Abyei
• The rights of each other's citizens now in a foreign country - there are estimated to be 500,000 southerners in Sudan and 80,000 Sudanese in the South
• Each accuses the other of supporting rebel groups on its territory

South Sudan to Withdraw from Disputed Town Heglig

 

South Sudan announced Friday April 20,2012 that it would withdraw its forces from the contested Oil Town of Heglig, yielding to international pressure in a dispute that brought the newly independent nation closer to a full-blown war with its neighbor Sudan.

 

“An orderly withdrawal will commence immediately and shall be completed within three days,” South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir said .

 

Sudanese Warplanes Bomb Bentiu Town in South Sudan

 

Sudanese warplanes bombed Bentiu,a South Sudanese town on  Monday April 23,2012 morning, ignoring international calls to stop the attacks striking a market on its outskirts and killing two civilians.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned Sudan’s bombardment of the town and urged the Govt in Khartoum(Govt of Sudan) to “cease all hostilities immediately,”

South Sudan Celebrates First Independence Anniversary(July 09,2011-July 09,2012)

South Sudanese participate in the country's anniversary celebrations, at the John Garang mausoleum in Juba, South Sudan.

Sudan and South Sudan 'Agree oil deal'

 

Sudan and South Sudan have reached a deal on border security and oil production that will allow oil exports from South Sudan through Sudan to resume.The leaders of the two neighbouring countries made the partial breakthrough after four days of talks in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.