Southern Sudan

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Southern Sudan
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Southern Sudan anthem
Capital (and largest city)		Juba
Official languages		English, Arabic (Juba Arabic)
Recognised regional languages		over 400 dialects. Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, English.
Ethnic groups		Dinka, Nuer, Bari, Lotuko, Zande, Mundari, Kakwa, Pojulu, Moru, Acholi, Madi, Lulubo, Lokoya, Toposa, Lango, Didinga, Murle, Anuak, Makaraka, Mundu, Jur, Kaliko, and others.
Demonym		Sudanese
Government
-	President	Salva Kiir Mayardit
-	Vice-President	Riek Machar
-	Deputy Commander-in-Chief of SPLA	Paulino Matip Nhial
Establishment
-	Comprehensive Peace Agreement	January 9, 2005
Area
-	Total	589,745 km2  227,702 sq mi
Population
-	estimate	7,997,432 (2003) [1]
-	Density	14/km2  36.3/sq mi
Currency		Sudanese pound
Time zone		(UTC+3)
1	Estimated at 8.5 million in 2005.[citation needed] natural rescources petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold, hydropower. (CIA factbook)

Southern Sudan (officially known as the Autonomous Government of Southern Sudan) is located in Africa with Juba as its capital city. It's bordered by Ethiopia to the east, Kenya, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the south, and the Central African Republic to the west. To the north lies the predominantly Arab and Muslim region directly under the control of the central government, with its capital at Khartoum. Southern Sudan includes the vast swamp region of the Sudd formed by the White Nile, locally called the Bahr el Jebel. The region's autonomous status is a condition of a peace agreement with between the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army and the Government of Sudan represented by the National Congress Party ending the Second Sudanese Civil War. The conflict was Africa's longest running civil war ^[2][3].

History

It is estimated^[who?] that the Southern region has a population of more than 15 million, but given the lack of a census in several decades, this estimate may be severely compromised; it may rise to about 17 million. The economy is predominantly rural and subsistence farming^{[citation needed]}, but at the beginning of 2005, the economy began to transition from this rural dominance and urban areas within Southern Sudan have seen extensive development. This region has been negatively affected by the First of Anya-nya(1) and Anya(2) and Second Sudanese Civil War of SPLA/M for almost twenty one (21) years since the history of the beginning of SPLA/M in 1983 - resulting in serious neglect, lack of infrastructure development, and major destruction and displacement. More than 2.5 million people have been killed, and more than 5 million have become externally displaced while others have been internally displaced becoming refugees as a result of the civil war and war-related impacts.

After the death of John Garang, the Southern Sudan Army and the South Sudan Defense Force (SSDF) overcame their mutual antagonism and merged in January 2006 under the Juba Declaration.^[4] The SSDF was founded by the current Vice President of Southern Sudan, Dr. Riek Machar. Under the Juba Declaration, General Matip became the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Sudanese Army, and his SSDF forces were also integrated into the Southern Sudan Army, swelling its ranks from 50,000 to an estimated 309,000 troops. The total has become 359,000 troops. All are now united under one army as Army of Southern Sudan. General Oyay Deng Ajak was appointed the Commander-in-Chief and Chief-of-Staff for the Army of Southern Sudan.

Government

Aside from the Interim National Constitution of the Republic of Sudan^[5], the Interim Constitution of Southern Sudan of 2005 is the supreme law^[6] of Southern Sudan. The Constitution establishes an Executive Branch headed by a President who is both the Head of State, Head of Government, and Commander-in-Chief of the Sudan People's Liberation Army. John Garang, the founder of the SPLA/M was the first President until his death on 30 July 2005. Salva Kiir Mayardit, 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 replaced him as Vice-President. Legislative power vested in the government and the unicameral Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly. The Constitution also provides for an independent judiciary, the highest organ being the Supreme Court.

Geography

Southern Sudan officially consists of the ten states which formerly composed the three historic Provinces of Bahr el Ghazal, Equatoria, and Upper Nile. The three areas of Nuba Mountains, Abyei and Blue Nile are culturally and politically part of the South but according to the CPA will have separate administrations until a referendum is held in which they will have the option of joining the South or remain under Northern administration.

• Bahr el Ghazal
  • Western Bahr el Ghazal
  • Northern Bahr el Ghazal
  • Warrap
  • Lakes

• Equatoria
  • Eastern Equatoria
  • Central Equatoria
  • Western Equatoria

• Upper Nile
  • Jonglei
  • Unity
  • Upper Nile

Demographics

Language

Southern Sudan is composed of more than 200 ethnic groups speaking languages found primarily within Southern Sudan with other languages from neighboring Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Congo, Northern Sudan (Khartoum) and more. It has been determined^{[by whom?]} that the official language is both English and Juba-Arabic, along with various local languages in states or cities.

Three widely used African languages in Southern Sudan are Thongjieng (5,000,000 speakers), Thok Naadh (9,500,000 speakers), and Shilluk (more than 1,500,000 speakers). Nuer is widely spoken in Bentiu, Nasir, Akobo, Maywuut etc. and Shilluk is widely spoken in Upper Nile or in the Kingdom of Shilluk; Juba Arabic is widely spoken in almost every part of Southern Sudan but mostly spoken in the States of Eastern Equatora, Western Equatoria, and Bahr el Jabel. Nubian languages are widely spoken in the mountains of the State of Nuba. The Uduk language is spoken by the Uduk people but also by some of their neighbors. There are more than 200 languages spoken in Southern Sudan in total, but English is the currently the official language of Southern Sudan.

Population

Census in Southern Sudan has not been estimated yet, but without a proper census, given right to polygamy and large families, the relative proportions of more than 15 million inhabitants of Southern Sudan is difficult to estimate. However, it is widely agreed that the largest ethnic group in Southern Sudan is Dinka, followed by Nuer then by Shilluk. Other ethnic communities in Southern Sudan are Acholi, Murle, Bari, Nubian, Funj, Maban, Zandi, Oduk, and more.

Religion

Southern Sudanese practice traditional beliefs and Christianity.

Economy

Most of the Government of Sudan's budget comes from oil money. The oil and other minerals wealth of the Southern Sudan can be found almost everywhere, but the Bentiu is commonly known as being especially rich in oil, under Bentiu or and the government of Southern Sudanese its states, which have a high concentration of African ethnic communities.

Oil

In recent years, a significant amount of foreign-based oil drilling has begun in Southern Sudan, raising the land's geopolitical profile. Khartoum has broken much of Sudan into blocks with about 85% of the oil coming from the South. Blocks 1, 2, and 4 are controlled by the largest overseas consortium, the Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company (GNPOC). GNPOC is composed of the following players: CNPC (People's Republic of China), with a 40% stake; Petronas (Malaysia), with 30%; ONGC (India), with 25%; and Sudapet of the central Sudan government with 5%^{[citation needed]}.

The other producing blocks in the South are blocks 3 and 7 in Eastern Upper Nile. These blocks are controlled by Petrodar which is 41% owned by CNPC of China, 40% by Petronas, 8% by Sudapet, 5% by Gulf Petroleum and 5% by Al Thani^{[citation needed]}.

Another major block in the South, called Block B by Khartoum, is claimed by several players. Total of France was awarded the concession for the 90,000 square kilometer block in the 1980s but has since done limited work invoking "force majeure". Various elements of the SPLM handed out the block or parts thereof to other parties of Southern Sudan. Several of these pre-Naivasha deals were rejected when the SPLM/A leader Dr. John Garang de Mabior lost power. One company in Southern Sudan, claims that the Government of Southern Sudan has since accepted its pre-CPA contracts^{[citation needed]}. These contracts have been backed by Late Dr. John Garang and handed them Southern Sudanese government, which originally signed agreements in September 2005 as head of the SPLM/A and has publicly supported Southern Sudan's Self-governing deal^{[citation needed]}.

The wealth-sharing section of the CPA states that all agreements signed prior to the CPA would hold; they would not be subject to review by the National Petroleum Commission (NPC), a commission set up by the CPA and composed of both Khartoum and Southerners and co-chaired by both President al-Bashir of Khartoum and President Kiir of Southern Sudan. However, the CPA does not specify who could sign those pre-CPA agreements. Both Khartoum and the South have previously attempted to claim the ability to sign agreements under the right of "self-determination" awarded to Southerners^{[citation needed]} which has just been declared on September 19, 2009 in more than 105 countries around the World.

Humanitarian situation

Southern Sudan is acknowledged to have some of the worst health indicators in the world.^[7][8] 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.^[7]

By the time of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005, humanitarian needs in Southern Sudan were massive. However, humanitarian organizations under the leadership of the United Nations 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.

In 2007, OCHA (under the leadership of Eliane Duthoit) started to phase out of 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.^[9]

See also

• Lost Boys of Sudan
• Sudan
• Duk County
• Lainya County
• John Dau
• Nyuol Tong

References

Further reading

• Biel, Melha Rout (2007), Southern Sudan after the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, Jena: Netzbandt Verlag, ISBN 9783937884011 

External links

This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (November 2009)

• Government of Southern Sudan
• Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly
• SPLM Official Site
• / HELPSudan International, founded by lost boys living in Chicago who are determined to better communities in southern Sudan by establishing schools and providing health resources and clean water
• Political information site
• Site for Southern Independence
• UN Mission in Sudan
• North/South Sudan Abyei Boundary Tribunal, including H.E. Former ICJ President Stephen M. Schwebel and H.E. Vice-President Awn Shawkat Al-Khasawneh and 3 July 2008 and UN SRSG for Sudan Praises Abyei Progress of 11 September 2008 and Parties Deposit Abyei Arbitration Agreement and Designate Agents of 2 October 2008 and 31 October 2008 and Norway's Contribution to the PCA Fund for North and South Sudan of 18 December 2008 and Sudan Applauds U.S. President Obama of 22 January 2009 and the White House and the Abyei Tribunal's Schedule for the Written Pleadings and Oral Hearing and Abyei Hearing Schedule, 18-23 April 2009 and Abyei Hearing Proceeds Following Expense Row of 17 April 2009 and Oral Hearing of Abyei Arbitration Begins on 18 April 2009 and Final Abyei Boundary Award of 22 July 2009 and UNSG Ban Ki-Moon's Statement Commends the Abyei Award and Hague Final Abyei Ruling Raises Big Peace Hopes in Sudan and BBC and GAR and Justice Portal and SPLM-NPC Joint Statement on the Abyei Award's Implementation and USA, EU and Others Welcome PCA Verdict on Abyei and Ruling on Oil Region Boilsters Peace in Sudan and GOSS and Abyei Boundary Arbitration Homepage
• Anniversary of Comprehensive Peace Agreement Between North and South Sudan of 7 January 2009
• Comprehensive Peace Agreement
• Resolving the Boundary Dispute in Sudan's Abyei Region U.S. Institute of Peace Briefing, October 2005
• The Nuer Field Notes - an online collection of linguistic field notes recorded by Eleanor Vandevort, who was a missionary in the South Sudan between 1949 and 1963. The site also includes Ms. Vandevort's book A Leopard Tamed and pictures taken in southern Sudan.
• John Dau Sudan Foundation One of the storied "Lost Boys of Sudan," John Dau is transforming healthcare in Southern Sudan through the building and sustaining of healthcare clinics.
• "CARL DUMPS STATE'S $10M SUDAN STAKE", "New York Post", April 25, 2001.
• Crisis briefing on the fragile peace in south Sudan from Reuters AlertNet

Coordinates: 4°51′N 31°36′E / 4.85°N 31.6°E / 4.85; 31.6