South Sudan

Southern Sudan is an autonomous region of the largest country in Africa. Following near-continuous civil wars and local conflicts since Sudanese independence from the United Kingdom, agreement was reached on a treaty that included provision for a referendum, in January 2011, in which the South had the option of whether or not to become an independent state. The result was 98.83% of voters - almost 3.8 million people - in favour of independence, which is set for July 2011. Currently, Southern Sudan issues its own currency and conducts its own foreign policy. Its capital is Juba.

Government

Southern Sudan has a relatively autonomous government, with its own currency and foreign policy, headed by Salva Kiir. Kiir is also a vice-president of Sudan. The main Southern leadership comprises the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM).

Economy

Southern Sudan is an oil-rich region. Actual oil drilling is centered around Bentiu, though oil must be exported via a port in the northern region of Sudan. A politically and economically significant, if difficult, alternative being explored is to develop rail service linking Bentiu to railroad facilities in northern Kenya, which would take crude oil as far as the head of a pipeline in Kenya, and thence to a refinery and port at Mombasa, Kenya. While an experienced German firm has been ready to build and fund the railroad, there has been slow progress in getting Kenyan approval for the project. The oil facilities in Mombasa are in need of renovation. If the Southern Sudan to Kenya alternative became viable, it would be an immense political-economic lever on the Northern government, which saw the southern deposits as a source of foreign income.

Conflict

While the Darfur Conflict has drawn the most world attention, there were more deaths in 2008 in Southern Sudan than in Darfur, along with more than 350,000 Internally Displaced Persons. These are primarily local and tribal conflicts, although there is a possibility of limited destabilization from the North. It was feared that the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) would cease to be viable before the self-determination referendum in January 2011. The International Crisis Group considered Northern destabilization possible but not probable. The New York Times reported it as being more likely, mentioning a flow of weapons into the South. Before the Power-Sharing Agreement, the North assisted the Ugandan-based Lord's Resistance Army against the South.

The worst violence is in the state of Jonglei, with an area of 120,000 km² and a population of 1.3 million engaged primarily in pastoralism with seasonal migration. Roads and other infrastructure are largely absent, as is a secure food supply and access to justice. "The escalating conflict cycles witnessed in and around Jonglei in 2009 have sown deep mistrust, and movement during the dry season could reignite large-scale conflict early in 2010. An attack in September, against Dinka-majority Duk Padiet in Jonglei, was conducted by Nuer, who said "Dinka-led local government was blockading a road into Nuer areas and not allowing the Nuer access to the river. 'The Nuer felt the government was ignoring them,' said Solomon Pur, a Nuer youth leader.