South Sudan

The Republic of South Sudan is the world’s newest country, after gaining independence from Sudan in 2011. This land-locked country is endowed with numerous natural resources and is characterized by rich ethnic and linguistic diversity. South Sudan is bordered by six neighboring African countries, and approximately 9 million people reside in the country’s 10 states, mostly in rural areas. The road to independence from Sudan has been marked by historical conflict and protracted civil war, lasting more than four decades since 1956. Much of this conflict has been demarcated along ethnic and religious identities, typically characterized as the Arab Muslim north and the black Christian/animist south. Power has historically been consolidated in the north, with the systematic oppression of the south. Though this fighting has ...