South Sudan

South Sudan(/suːˈdɑːn,-ˈdæn/), officially theRepublic of South Sudan, is alandlocked countryinEast Africa.It is bordered on the north bySudan; on the east byEthiopia; on the south by theDemocratic Republic of the Congo,UgandaandKenya; and on the west by theCentral African Republic. South Sudan's diverse landscape includes vast plains and plateaus, dry and tropical savannahs, inland floodplains, and forested mountains. TheNile Riversystem is the defining physical feature of the country, running south to north across its center, which is dominated by a large swamp known as theSudd. South Sudan has a population of 12.7 million.Jubais thecapitaland largest city.
Sudan was occupied byEgyptunder theMuhammad Ali dynastyand governed as anAnglo-Egyptian condominiumuntil Sudanese independence in 1956. Following theFirst Sudanese Civil War, theSouthern Sudan Autonomous Regionwas formed in 1972 and lasted until 1983. Asecond Sudanese civil warsoon broke out in 1983 and ended in 2005 with theComprehensive Peace Agreement. Later that year, southern autonomy was restored when anAutonomous Government of Southern Sudanwas formed. South Sudan became anindependent stateon 9 July 2011, following 98.8% support for independence ina January 2011 referendum.It is themost recentsovereign state with widespread recognition as of 2024.
South Sudan descended intoa civil warfrom 2013 to 2020, enduring rampanthuman rights abuses, including forced displacement, ethnic massacres, andkillings of journalistsby various parties. It has since been governed by a coalition formed by leaders of the former warring factions,Salva Kiir MayarditandRiek Machar.The country continues to recover from the war while experiencing ongoing and systemicethnic violence.
The South Sudanese population is composed mostly ofNilotic peoplesspanning a variety of ethnic, tribal, and linguistic groups. It is demographically among the youngest nations in the world, with roughly half its people under 18 years old.The majority of inhabitants adhere toChristianityor varioustraditional indigenous faiths, with a sizeable Muslim minority.
South Sudan is amember of the United Nations,African Union,East African Community,and theIntergovernmental Authority on Development.It is one of theleast developed countriesin the world, ranking second to last in theHuman Development Index, ahead of onlySomalia, and having the second-lowestnominal GDP per capita, afterBurundi.
The nameSudanis a name given to ageographical regionto the south of theSahara, stretching fromWestern Africato easternCentral Africa. The name derives from theArabicbilād as-sūdān(بلاد السودان), or the "Land of theBlacks".The term was used byArabtraders and travelers in the region to refer to the various indigenousblack Africancultures and societies that they encountered.
TheNiloticpeople of South Sudan—theDinka,Anyuak,Bari,Acholi,Nuer,Shilluk,Kaligi(Arabic Feroghe), and others—first entered South Sudan sometime before the tenth century, coinciding with the fall ofmedieval Nubia. From the 15th to the 19th century, tribal migrations, largely from the area ofBahr el Ghazal, brought the Anyuak, Dinka, Nuer, and Shilluk to their modern locations in Bahr El Ghazal and the Upper Nile Region, while the Acholi andBarisettled inEquatoria. TheZande,Mundu,AvukayaandBaka, who entered South Sudan in the 16th century, established the region's largest state of Equatoria Region.
The Dinka is the largest, the Nuer the second-largest, the Zande the third-largest, and the Bari the fourth-largest of South Sudan's ethnic groups. They are found in theMaridi,Yambio, and Tombura districts in thetropical rainforestbelt ofWestern Equatoria, the Adio of Azande client inYei,Central Equatoria, andWestern Bahr el Ghazal. In the 18th century, the Avungarasibrose to power over the rest of Azande society, a domination that continued into the 20th century.British policies favouring Christian missionaries, such as the Closed District Ordinance of 1922 (seeHistory of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan), and geographical barriers such as the swamplands along theWhite Nilecurtailed the spread of Islam to the south, thus allowing the southern tribes to retain much of their social and cultural heritage, as well as their political and religious institutions.
British colonial policy in Sudan had a long history of emphasizing the development of the Arab north and largely ignoring the Black African south, which lacked schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, and other basic infrastructure. After Sudan's first independent elections in 1958, the continued neglect of the southern region by theKhartoumgovernment led to uprisings, revolts, and the longest civil war on the continent.People affected by the violence included theDinka,Nuer,Shilluk,Anyuak,Murle,Bari,Mundari,Baka,Balanda Bviri,Boya,Didinga,Jiye,Kakwa,Kaligi,Kuku,Lotuka,Nilotic,Toposa, andZande.
The Azande have had good relations with their neighbours, namely theMoru,Mundu,Pöjulu,Avukaya, Baka, and the small groups in Bahr el Ghazal, due to the expansionist policy of their kingGbudwe, in the 18th century. In the 19th century, the Azande fought the French, theBelgiansand theMahdiststo maintain their independence.Ottoman Egypt, under the rule ofKhediveIsmail Pasha, first attempted to control the region in the 1870s, establishing the province ofEquatoriain the southern portion. Egypt's first appointed governor wasSamuel Baker, commissioned in 1869, followed byCharles George Gordonin 1874, and byEmin Pashain 1878.
TheMahdist Revoltof the 1880s destabilized the nascent province, and Equatoria ceased to exist as an Egyptian outpost in 1889. Important settlements in Equatoria includedLado,Gondokoro,Dufile, andWadelai. European colonial manoeuvrings in the region came to a head in 1898, when theFashoda Incidentoccurred at present-dayKodok; Britain and France almost went to war over the region.Britain then treated South Sudan as a distinct entity with a different stage of development than the North. This policy was legalized in 1930 by the announcement of the Southern Policy. In 1946, without consulting Southern opinion, the British administration reversed its Southern Policy and began instead to implement a policy of uniting the North and the South.
The region has been negatively affectedby two civil warssince Sudanese independence: from 1955 to 1972, the Sudanese government fought theAnyanyarebel army (Anya-Nya is a term in theMadilanguage which means "snake venom")during theFirst Sudanese Civil War, followed by theSudan People's Liberation Army/Movement(SPLA/M) in theSecond Sudanese Civil Warfor over twenty years, from 1983 to 2005. As a result, the country suffered serious neglect, a lack of infrastructure development, and major destruction and displacement. More than 2.5 million people have been killed, and millions more have becomerefugeesboth within and outside the country.
South Sudan has an estimated population of 11 million people in 2023,but, given the lack of a census in several decades, this estimate may be severely distorted. The economy is predominantly rural and relies chiefly onsubsistence farming.Around 2005, the economy began a transition from this rural dominance, and urban areas within South Sudan have seen extensive development.
Between 9 and 15 January 2011, as a consequence of theComprehensive Peace Agreement, theSouth Sudanese independence referendumwas held to determine whether South Sudan should become an independent country, separate from Sudan. Following that, 98.83% of those who took part in the referendum voted for separation or independence.And on 23 January 2011, members of a steering committee on post-independence governing told reporters that upon independence the land would be named the Republic of South Sudan "out of familiarity and convenience". Other names that had been considered wereAzania, Nile Republic,KushRepublic and even Juwama, aportmanteauforJuba,WauandMalakal, three major cities.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.The region ofAbyeistill remains disputed and a separate referendum will be held in Abyei on whether they want to join Sudan or South Sudan.TheSouth Kordofan conflictbroke out in June 2011 between theArmy of Sudanand the SPLA over theNuba Mountains.
On 9 July 2011, South Sudan became the 54th independent country in Africa(9 July is now celebrated asIndependence Day, a national holiday) and since 14 July 2011, South Sudan is the 193rd member of theUnited Nations.On 27 July 2011, South Sudan became the 54th country to join theAfrican Union.In September 2011,Google Mapsrecognized South Sudan as an independent country, after a massive crowdsourcing mapping initiative was launched.
In 2011 it was reported that South Sudan was at war with at least seven armed groups in 9 of its 10 states, with tens of thousands displaced.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.TheLord's Resistance Army(LRA) also operates in a wide area that includes South Sudan.
Inter-ethnic warfare in some cases predates the war of independence and is widespread. In December 2011,tribal clashesintensified between theNuer White Armyof theLouNuerand theMurle.The White Army warned it would wipe out the Murle and would also fight South Sudanese andUN forcessent to the area aroundPibor.
In March 2012, South Sudanese forces seized theHegligoil fields in lands claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan in the province ofSouth Kordofanafterconflict with Sudanese forcesin the South Sudanese state ofUnity.South Sudan withdrew on 20 March, and the Sudanese Army entered Heglig two days later.
On the 5th of September 2013, an article written by analyst Duop Chak Wuol was published by the US-based South Sudan News Agency (SSNA).The writer raised critical questions surrounding what he described as the rise of autocracy within the top leadership of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and warned of monumental repercussions unless the ruling elites restored the founding principles of the party. Duop also berated the ruling party, arguing that the party has replaced its founding principles with "forgotten promises and deceptions". In December 2013, a political power struggle broke out between President Kiir and his former deputyRiek Machar, as the president accused Machar and ten others of attempting acoup d'état.Fighting broke out, igniting theSouth Sudanese Civil War. Ugandan troops were deployed to fight alongside South Sudanese government forces against the rebels.The United Nations has peacekeepers in the country as part of theUnited Nations Mission in South Sudan(UNMISS). Numerous ceasefires were mediated by theIntergovernmental Authority on Development(IGAD) between the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) andSPLM – in oppositionand were subsequently broken. A peace agreement was signed in Ethiopia under threat of United Nations sanctions for both sides in August 2015.Machar returned to Juba in 2016 and was appointed vice president.Following a second breakout of violence in Juba, Machar was replaced as vice-presidentand he fled the countryas the conflict erupted again. Rebel in-fighting has become a major part of the conflict.Rivalry among Dinka factions led by the President and Malong Awan has also led to fighting. In August 2018, another power-sharing agreement came into effect.
About 400,000 people are estimated to have been killed in the war,including notable atrocities such as the2014 Bentiu massacre.Although both men have supporters from across South Sudan's ethnic divides, subsequent fighting has been communal, with rebels targeting members of Kiir's Dinka ethnic group and government soldiers attacking Nuers.More than 4 million people have been displaced, with about 1.8 million of those internally displaced, and about 2.5 million having fled to neighbouring countries, especially Uganda and Sudan.
On 20 February 2020,Salva Kiir MayarditandRiek Macharagreed to a peace deal;further, anational unity governmenton 22 February 2020, as Machar was sworn in as theFirst Vice Presidentof the country.
Despite the official cessation of the civil war, violence between armed militia groups at the community level has continued in the country; according toYasmin Sooka, Chair of the Commission of Human Rights in Sudan, the level of violence "far exceeds the violence between 2013 and 2019".
South Sudan acceded to the Treaty of theEast Africa Communityon 15 April 2016 and became a full member on 15 August 2016.South Sudan,Democratic Republic of CongoandFederal Republic of Somaliaare the newest members of theEast African Community.
Thefirst democratic elections in South Sudan since the start of the civil warwere scheduled for 2023 by the peace agreement that ended the war officially, but the transitional government and opposition agreed in 2022 to move them to late 2024 instead.In September 2024, Kiir's office announced that the elections would be postponed an additional two years, to December 2026.
On 20 February 2017, South Sudan and the United Nations declared afaminein parts of formerUnity State, with the warning that it could spread rapidly without further action. Over 100,000 people were affected. TheUN World Food Programmesaid that 40% of the population of South Sudan, 4.9 million people, need food urgently.U.N. officials said that PresidentSalva Kiir Mayarditwas blocking food deliveries to some areas.Furthermore, UNICEF warned that more than 1 million children in South Sudan were subjected to malnutrition.
An outbreak offall armywormfurther threatenedsorghumand maize production by July 2017.
South Sudan lies between latitudes3°and13°N, and longitudes24°and36°E. It is covered in tropical forest, swamps, and grassland. TheWhite Nilepasses through the country, passing by Juba.The Sudd is formed by theWhite Nile, known locally as theBahr al Jabal, meaning "Mountain Sea".
South Sudan's protected area ofBandingilo National Parkhosts the second-largestwildlifemigration in the world. Surveys have revealed thatBoma National Park, west of the Ethiopian border, as well as theSuddwetland andSouthern National Parknear the border with Congo, provided habitat for large populations ofhartebeest,kob,topi,buffalo, elephants, giraffes, and lions.
South Sudan's forest reserves also provided habitat forbongo,giant forest hogs,red river hogs, forest elephants,chimpanzees, and forestmonkeys. Surveys begun in 2005 byWCSin 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 andNile 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 ofantelope, 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 thenCommonwealth 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. The country had a 2019Forest Landscape Integrity Indexmean score of 9.45/10, ranking it fourth globally out of 172 countries.
Severalecoregionsextend across South Sudan: theEast Sudanian savanna,Northern Congolian forest–savanna mosaic,Saharan flooded grasslands(Sudd),Sahelian Acacia savanna,East African montane forests, and theNorthern Acacia–Commiphora bushlands and thickets.
South Sudan has a 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 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).
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"and the shift to southerly and southwesterly winds leading to slightly lower temperatures, higher humidity, and more cloud coverage.
One study has showed that climate change is expected to increase rainfall rates over South Sudan, but there is greater uncertainty about whether the number of rainy days will increase or decrease.
The now defunctSouthern Sudan Legislative Assemblyratified atransitional constitutionshortly beforeindependenceon 9 July 2011.Theconstitutionwas signed by thePresident of South Sudan,Salva Kiir Mayardit, onIndependenceDay and thereby came into force. It is now the supreme law of the land, superseding the InterimConstitutionof 2005.
The constitution establishes apresidential systemof government headed by apresidentwho ishead of state,head of government, and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. It also establishes theNational Legislaturecomprising two houses: a directly elected assembly, theNational Legislative Assembly, and a second chamber of representatives of the states, theCouncil of States.
John Garang, one of the founders of the SPLA/M, was the president of the autonomous government until his death on 30 July 2005.Salva Kiir Mayardit,his deputy, was sworn in asFirst Vice President of SudanandPresident of the Government of Southern Sudanon 11 August 2005.Riek Macharreplaced him asVice-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 theSupreme Court.
On 8 May 2021, South Sudan PresidentSalva Kiirannounced a dissolution of Parliament as part of a 2018 peace deal to set up a new legislative body that will number 550 lawmakers.According to 2023V-Dem Democracy indicesSouth Sudan is third lowest rankedelectoral democracy in Africa.
The capital of South Sudan is located atJuba, which is also the state capital ofCentral Equatoriaand the county seat of the eponymousJuba County, and is 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 newplanned cityto serve as the seat of government.It is planned that the capital city will be changed to the more centrally locatedRamciel.This proposal is functionally similar to construction projects inAbuja, Nigeria;Brasília, Brazil; andCanberra, 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 at Ramciel,a place inLakesstate near the borders with Central Equatoria andJonglei. Ramciel is considered to be the geographical centre of the country,and the late pro-independence leaderJohn Garangallegedly 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.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.
Prior to 2015, South Sudan was divided into ten states, which also correspond to three historical regions:Bahr el Ghazal,Equatoria, andGreater Upper Nile region:
TheAbyeiArea, a small region of Sudan bordering on the South Sudanese states of Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Warrap, and Bentiu, was given special administrative status as a result of theComprehensive Peace Agreementsigned in 2005. Following the independence of South Sudan in 2011, Abyei is considered to be simultaneously part of both theRepublic of Sudanand the Republic of South Sudan, effectively acondominium. It was due to hold areferendumin 2011 on whether to join South Sudan or remain part of the Republic of Sudan, but in May 2011, the Sudanese military seized Abyei, and it is not clear if the referendum will be held.
In October 2015, South Sudan's President Salva Kiir issued a decree establishing twenty-eight states in place of the ten constitutionally established states.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.In November the South Sudanese parliament empowered President Kiir to create new states.
On 14 January 2017 another four states were created; Central Upper Nile, Northern Upper Nile, Tumbura and Maiwut.
Under the terms of a peace agreement signed on 22 February 2020, South Sudan is again divided into ten states, with two administrative areas and one area with special administrative status.
TheKafia Kingiarea is disputed between South Sudan and Sudan and theIlemi Triangleis disputed between South Sudan and Kenya.
The states and administrative areas are once again grouped into the three former historical provinces of the Sudan;Bahr el Ghazal,EquatoriaandGreater Upper Nile:
Sinceindependence, relations withSudanhave been changing. Sudan'sPresidentOmar al-Bashirfirst announced, inJanuary2011, that dual citizenship in the North and the South would be allowed,but upon the independence of South Sudan he retracted the offer. He has also suggested an EU-style confederation.Essam Sharaf, Prime Minister ofEgyptafter the2011 Egyptian Revolution, made his first foreign visit toKhartoumandJubain the lead-up to South Sudan's secession.Israel quickly recognized South Sudan as an independent country,and is host to thousands ofrefugees from South Sudan, many of whom have finally been granted temporary resident status more than a decade later.According to American sources, President Obama officially recognised the new state afterSudan,Egypt,GermanyandKenyawere among the first to recognise the country'sindependenceon 8 July 2011.Several states that participated in the international negotiations concluded with a self-determination referendum were also quick to acknowledge the overwhelming result. The Rationalist process includedKenya,Uganda,Egypt,Ethiopia,Libya,Eritrea, theUnited KingdomandNorway.
South Sudan is a member state of the United Nations,theAfrican Union,theEast African Community,and theCommon Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.South Sudan plans to join theCommonwealth of Nations,theInternational Monetary Fund,OPEC+, and theWorld Bank.Some international trade organizations categorize South Sudan as part of theGreater Horn of Africa.
Full membership in theArab Leaguehas been assured, should the country's government choose to seek it,though it could also opt for observer status.It was admitted to UNESCO on 3 November 2011.On 25 November 2011, it officially joined theIntergovernmental Authority on Development, a regional grouping ofEast Africanstates.
The United States supported the 2011 referendum on South Sudan's independence.The New York Timesreported, "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."The U.S. government's long-standing sanctions against 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.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 licence, 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.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.
In July 2019, UN ambassadors of 37 countries, including South Sudan, signed a joint letter to theUNHRCdefending China's treatment ofUyghursin theXinjiangregion.
The UAE lent South Sudan $12 billion for a period of 20 years. The loan agreement was signed between South Sudan and an Emirati firm owned by Hamad bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, the sources of whose wealth and investments have been suspicions during the failed takeover of Beitar Jerusalem FC. The loan deposit was directed to an Emirati bank account, of which 70% were allocated to infrastructure facilities. As per the agreement, South Sudan was to repay by the means of oil shipments, priced at $10 per barrel less than its market value. Additional oil shipments were agreed in case of decrease in oil prices. The agreement took no account of the Sudan war.
A Defence paper was initiated in 2007 by then Minister for SPLA AffairsDominic Dim Deng, and a draft was produced in 2008. It declared thatSouthern Sudanwould eventually maintain land, air, and riverine forces.
As of 2015, South Sudan has the third highestmilitaryspending as a percentage of GDP in theworld, behind only Oman andSaudi Arabia.
Campaigns of atrocities against civilians have been attributed to the SPLA.In the SPLA/M's attempt to disarm rebellions among theShillukandMurle, they burned scores of villages,rapedhundreds of women and girls and killed an untold number of civilians.Civilians allegingtortureclaim 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 it was suspected that rebels had spent the night there.In May 2011, the SPLA allegedly set fire to over 7,000 homes inUnity State.
The UN reports many of these violations and the frustrated director of one Juba-based international aid agency calls them "human rights abuses off theRichter scale".In 2010, theCIAissued a warning that "over the next five years ... a new mass killing orgenocideis most likely to occur in southern Sudan."TheNuer White Armyhas stated it wished to "wipe outthe entireMurletribe on the face of the earth as the only solution to guarantee long-term security of Nuer's cattle"and activists, includingMinority Rights Group International, warned of genocide inJonglei.At the beginning of 2017, genocide was imminent again.
Peter Abdul Rahaman Sule, the leader of the key opposition groupUnited 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.
Thechild marriagerate in South Sudan is 52%.Homosexual actsare illegal.
Recruitment ofchild soldiershas also been cited as a serious problem in the country.In April 2014,Navi Pillay, then theUN High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated that more than 9,000child soldiershad been fighting in South Sudan'scivil war.
The United Nations rights office has described the situation in the country as "one of the most horrendoushuman rightssituations in the world". It accused the army and allied militias of allowing fighters to rape women as form of payment for fighting, as well as raid cattle in an agreement of "do what you can, take what you can."Amnesty Internationalclaimed the army suffocated more than 60 people accused of supporting the opposition to death in a shipping container.
On 22 December 2017, at the conclusion of a 12-day visit to the region, the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan said, "Four years following the start of the current conflict in South Sudan, gross human rights violations continue to be committed in a widespread way by all parties to the conflict, in which civilians are bearing the brunt."The Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan was established by the Human Rights Council in March 2016.
Theeconomyof South Sudan is one of the world's most underdeveloped,with South Sudan having little existinginfrastructureand the highest maternal mortality and female illiteracy rates in the world as of 2011.South Sudan exports timber to theinternational market. Theregionalso contains manynatural resourcessuch aspetroleum,iron ore,copper,chromiumore,zinc,tungsten,mica,silver,gold,diamonds,hardwoods,limestoneandhydropower.The country'seconomy, as in many other developingcountries, is heavilydependentonagriculture.
Other than natural resources-based companies, other such organisations includeSouthern Sudan Beverages Limited, a subsidiary ofSABMiller.
The oilfields in South Sudan have been significant to the economy since the latter part of the 20th century. In 2023, oil constitutes more than 90% of state revenues.The country has the third-largestoil reservesinSub-Saharan Africa.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.
It is estimated that South Sudan has around 4 times the oil deposits of Sudan. The oil revenues, according to theComprehensive Peace Agreement(CPA), were split equally for the duration of the agreement period.Since South Sudan relies on pipelines,refineries, andPort Sudan's facilities inRed Seastate in Sudan, the agreement stated that thegovernmentof Sudan inKhartoumwould receive a 50% share of all oil revenues.This arrangement was maintained during thesecond period of autonomyfrom 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 favourable terms.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.
After independence, South Sudan objected to Sudan charging US$34 perbarrelto 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%.In 2017,Nile Drilling & Servicesbecame South Sudan's first locally owned and run petroleum drilling company.
In terms of South Sudan's external debt, Sudan and South Sudan maintain a shared debt of approximately US$38 billion, all of which has accumulated throughout the past five decades.Though a small portion of this debt is owed to such international institutions as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (approximately US$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 theParis Club(over US$11 billion) and also non-Paris Club bilateral creditors (over US$13 billion).
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.Private bilateral creditors (i.e. private commercial banks and private credit suppliers) account for the majority of the remainder (approximately US$6 billion of the total debt).
The presidents of Kenya and Rwanda invited theAutonomous Government of Southern Sudanto apply for membership to theEast African Communityupon the independence of South Sudan in 2011,and South Sudan was reportedly an applicant country as of mid-July 2011.Analysts suggested that South Sudan's early efforts to integrate infrastructure, includingrail linksand oil pipelines,with systems in Kenya and Uganda indicated intention to pivot away from dependence onSudanand toward the EAC.
On 17 September 2011, theDaily Nationquoted 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.This was contradicted by PresidentSalva Kiir, who announced South Sudan had officially embarked on the application process one month later.The application was initially deferred by the EAC in December 2012,and incidents with Ugandanboda-bodaoperators in South Sudan created political tension.
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.In May 2013, the EAC set aside $82,000 for the admission process. Starting 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.
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 toSouth Sudanese Civil War.
South Sudan's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Barnaba Marial Benjamin, claimed publicly in October 2015 that, following unpublished 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.
South Sudan was eventually approved for membership inEast African Communityin March 2016,and formally acceded with the signature of the treaty in April 2016.
South Sudan has applied to join theCommonwealth of Nations,considering that South Sudan was part of theAnglo-Egyptian Sudan, and has tworepublics in the Commonwealth of Nations,KenyaandUganda, as neighboring countries. There was an interest in joining almost immediately after South Sudan's independence.
Road transport is the most common and cheapest means of transport used in the country.
The Nile River provides the major water transport in South Sudan. The White Nile is a navigablewaterwayfrom theLake Albert (Africa)toKhartoumthroughJebel Aulia Dam. BetweenJubaandUganda, the river requires a channel to make it navigable. During part of the year the rivers are navigable up toGambela, Ethiopia, andWau, South Sudan.
South Sudan has 248 km (154 mi) of single-track1,067 mm(3 ft 6 in) gauge railway line from the Sudanese border toWauterminus. There are proposed extensions from Wau toJuba. There are also plans to link Juba with theKenyanandUgandanrailway networks.
The busiest and most developed airport in South Sudan isJuba Airport, which has regular international connections toAsmara,Entebbe,Nairobi,Cairo,Addis Ababa, andKhartoum. Juba Airport was also the home base ofFeeder Airlines CompanyandSouthern Star Airlines.
Other international airports includeMalakal, with international flights to Addis Ababa and Khartoum;Wau, with weekly service to Khartoum; andRumbek, also with weekly flights to Khartoum. Southern Sudan Airlines also servesNimuleandAkobo, 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.
Thewater supply in South Sudanis faced with numerous challenges. Although theWhite Nileruns through the country, water is scarce during the dry season in areas that are not located on the river.
About half the population does not have access to animproved water source, defined as a protected well, standpipe or a handpump within one kilometre. 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 asWater is Basic,Water for South Sudan, the Obakki Foundationand Bridgton-Lake Region Rotary Clubfrom North America.
South Sudan has a population of approximately 11 millionand 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 ofinfrastructuredevelopment, and major destruction and displacement. More than 2 million people have died, and more than 4 million areinternally displaced personsor becamerefugeesas a result of the civil war and its impact.
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;however, Southern Sudanese officials rejected the census results of Southern Sudan because "the central bureau of statistics inKhartoumrefused to share the national Sudan raw census data with the southern Sudan centre for census, statistics and evaluation".
In addition, President Kiir "suspected figures were being deflated in some regions and inflated in others, and that made the final tally 'unacceptable'."He claimed that the Southern Sudanese population actually constituted one-third of that of Sudan, though the census showed it to be only 22%.
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."The chief American technical adviser for the census in the south said that the census-takers probably reached only 89% of the population.
In 2009, Sudan initiated a Southern Sudanese census ahead of the2011 independence referendum, which would also include theSouth 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.
The majorethnic groupspresent in South Sudan are theDinkaat approximately 40 percent of the population, theNuerat approximately 20 percent, and theAzandeat approximately 10 percent, as well as theShillukandBari.Currently, around 800,000 expatriates from theHorn of Africaare living in South Sudan.
The South Sudanese diaspora consists of citizens of South Sudan residing abroad. The number of South Sudanese outside South Sudan has sharply increased since the beginning of the struggle for independence fromSudan. Almost one and a half million South Sudanese have left the country as refugees, either permanently or as temporary workforce, leading to the establishment of the South Sudanese diaspora population.
The largest communities of the South Sudanese diaspora are located in North America, Western Europe and Oceania. They can be found in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia. Small communities exist in France, Italy, Germany, Sweden, and New Zealand.
Activist Achol Jok Mach has spoken out about growing up and growing up in a diaspora community and the effect on her identity, saying: "I was only ever told, 'You are South Sudanese'... It was only much later that I learned I wasDinka."
There are 70 languages spoken in South Sudan, of which 60 areindigenousand granted constitutional status as "national languages" that "shall be respected, developed and promoted".English is the soleofficial language,being constitutionally enshrined as the "official working language" of government and the "language of instruction at all levels of education".English had been the principal language of what is now South Sudan since 1972, serving as the common medium for administrative purposes.However, few South Sudanese speak it as a first language.
The majority of languages spoken in South Sudan are classified within theNilo-Saharan Language family, specifically the subbranches ofNile SudanicandCentral Sudanic; most of the remainder are part of theAdamawa-Ubangibranch of theNiger-Congo family. The most common languages areNuer(4.35 million),Bari(595,000)Dinka(940,000) orZande(420,000), which are collectively spoken by approximately 60% of the population;other major indigenous languages includeMurle,Luo,Ma'di, andOtuho. Six indigenous languages are threatened withextinction, with another 11 declining.
Arabic, aSemiticlanguage of theAfroasiaticfamily, is the most widely spoken language.The most common variety isJuba Arabic, also known as South Sudanese Arabic, acreole languagethat serves as thelingua francafor local governments, national commerce, and in urban areas.It is spoken by approximately 1.45 million people, of whom only 250,000 speak it natively.Sudanese Arabic, the prevailing dialect in Sudan, has approximately 460,000 speakers, primarily in the northern regions of South Sudan; it has been described as thede factolanguage of national identity.Arabic had been recognized as South Sudan's second official language, alongside English, in its 2005 interim constitution,but has no legal status in the current transitional constitution adopted in 2011.
Swahili, aBantu languagespoken primarily in East Africa, has been proposed as a second official language. In 2011, South Sudan's ambassador toKenyastated thatSwahiliwould be introduced in South Sudan with the goal of supplanting Arabic as alingua franca, in keeping with the country's orientation toward theEast African Communityrather than Sudan and theArab League.Following the South Sudan's ascension to theEast African Communityin 2019, the government has moved to adopt Swahili into the official curricula at primary school.Nevertheless, South Sudan submitted an application to join the Arab League as amember stateon 25 March 2014, which is still pending.In an interview with the newspaperAsharq Al-Awsat, the Foreign Minister of South SudanDeng Alor Kuolsaid: South Sudan is the closest African country to theArab world, and we speak a special kind of Arabic known as Juba Arabic.Sudan supports South Sudan's request to join the Arab League.Juba Arabic is alingua francain South Sudan.
Religionsfollowed by theSouth SudaneseincludeChristianity,various traditionalindigenous belief systems, andIslam.Exact figures are lacking due to internal displacement from ongoing conflict, large numbers of frequently-migrating pastoralists, and insufficient government resources.The lastofficial censusto take into account religion was in 1956, where a majority of people were classified as adherents of traditional beliefs orChristianity, while 18% wereMuslim.
According to various nongovernmental sources, in 2020, the majority of the population (60.5%) was Christian, followed by adherents oftraditional African religions(32.9%) and Muslims (6.2%).This proportion was largely unchanged from the prior decade.Other religions with small populations include the Baha’i Faith, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Judaism.
In 2001, theWorld Christian Encyclopediaclaimed that theCatholic Churchwas the largest singleChristianbody inSudansince 1995, with the country's 2.7millionCatholicsbeing concentrated in what is today South Sudan.
Most Christians areRoman Catholic; in 2020, Catholics reportedlymade up 52% of the population of Christians.Other estimates suggested that 37.2% of the country's population isCatholic, with about 6.2 million Catholics out of a total population of 16.7 million while the next largest Christian denominations are theEpiscopal Church(3.5 million members)and thePresbyterian Church(one million members in 2012).
Christianity has grown rapidly in the country over the last two decades. Despite Europeanmissionaryactivity beginning as early as the mid-19th century, the U.S.Library of Congressstates that "in the early 1990s possibly no more than 10% of southern Sudan's population wasChristian".During this same period, official records ofSudanclaimed that one-quarter of the population of present-day South Sudan practiced varioustraditional religionswhile only 5% wereChristians.Various scholarly sources, as well as theU.S. Department of State,stated that a majority of southern Sudanese maintained traditionalanimistindigenous beliefs at the start of the 21st century, with Christians remaining a small minority.
As in other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Christianity is oftenblendedwith traditional beliefs.In 2022, the new Catholic bishop ofRumbek,Christian Carlassare, observed that while more than half the population of South Sudan is Christian, "Christianity is often no more than skin deep" and "hasn't grown roots in the life of the population".Many religious organizations function as a source of stability, community, humanitarian aid, and refuge in the absence of government institutions, with Christian and Muslim religious leaders actively involved in peacebuilding and socioeconomic development.
Indigenousanimistbeliefs remain widespread among the population regardless of religious affiliation. Additionally, each ethnic group has its own traditional belief system, all of which share a concept of a higher spirit or divinity, generally a creator god.Traditional African cosmology divides the universe between a visible material realm and an invisible heavenly realm, which is populated by spiritual beings that serve as intermediaries or messengers of a higher power; in the case of theNilotic peoples, these spirits are identified with ancestors. The supreme deity is worshipped through rituals that utilize music and dance.
Although the internal conflicts that precipitated Sudan's partition have been characterized as between Muslims and Christians, some scholars reject this notion, claiming Muslim and Christian sides sometimes overlapped.Muslims are relatively well integrated into South Sudanese society and represented in government; Muslim religious leaders are present in all major political ceremonies as well as peace negotiations. Islamic private schools are maintained with little government involvement, while many secondary institutions include Islamic theology in their curricula.
In 2011, inauguralSouth SudanesePresidentSalva Kiir, a Roman Catholic, said that South Sudan would be a nation that respectsfreedom of religion.The country's transitional constitution provides for separation of religion and state, prohibits religious discrimination, and provides religious groups freedom to worship, assemble, proselytize, own property, receive financial contributions, communicate and publish materials on religious matters, and establish charitable institutions.Interreligious conflict occurs largely in the context of ethnic and communal conflict; for example, in February 2022, clashes between Dinka clans resulted in the targeting of associated religious buildings and leaders.
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 the8 + 4 + 4system (similar to Kenya). Primary education consists of eight years, followed by four years ofsecondary education, and then four years of university instruction.
The primary language at all levels is English, as compared to the Republic of Sudan, where thelanguage of instructionisArabic. In 2007, South Sudan adopted English as theofficial languageof communication. There is a severe shortage of English teachers and English-speaking teachers in the scientific and technical fields.
On 1 October 2019, the South Sudan Library Foundation opened South Sudan's first public library, the Juba Public Peace Library in Gudele 2.The library currently employs a staff of over 40 volunteers and maintains a collection of over 13,000 books.The South Sudan Library Foundation was co-founded by Yawusa Kintha and Kevin Lenahan.
According to the United Nations, there are 8.3 million people in need of humanitarian aid in South Sudan as of January 2021.South Sudan is acknowledged to have some of the worst health indicators in the world.The under-fiveinfant mortalityrate is 135.3 per 1,000, whilstmaternal mortalityis the highest in the world at 2,053.9 per 100,000 live births.In 2004, there were only threesurgeonsserving in southern Sudan, with three properhospitals, and in some areas there was just onedoctorfor every 500,000 people.
The epidemiology ofHIV/AIDSin the South Sudan is poorly documented but the prevalence is believed around 3.1%.According to a 2013 study, South Sudan "probably has the highestmalariaburden insub-SaharanAfrica".South Sudan is one of the few countries wheredracunculiasisstill occurs.
At the time of theComprehensive Peace Agreementof 2005, humanitarian needs in Southern Sudan were massive. However, humanitarian organizations under the leadership of the UNOffice 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).
In 2007, the United Nations OCHA (under the leadership ofÉliane 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.
Faminereportedly led to deaths inBentiuandLatjorstates in mid-2011, though the state governments of both denied hunger there was severe enough to cause fatalities.
In Pibor County located in the Jonglei State, in December 2011 and January 2012,cattle raidsled to border clashes that eventually resulted in widespreadethnic violence, with thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of South Sudanese being displaced, and hundreds ofMédecins Sans Frontièresstaff went missing. The government declared the area a disaster zone and took control from local authorities.South Sudan has a very high rate ofchild marriage.Violence against womenis common in the country, and South Sudan's laws and policies have been criticized as inadequate in offering protection.
As of February 2014, South Sudan was host to over 230,000refugees, with the vast majority, over 209,000, having arrived recently from Sudan, because of theWar 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.As a result of the war that erupted in December 2013, more than 2.3 million people – one in every five people in South Sudan – have been forced to flee their homes, including 1.66 million internally displaced people (with 53.4 per cent estimated to be children) and nearly 644,900 refugees in neighbouring countries. Some 185,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) have sought refuge in UN Protection of Civilians (PoC) sites, while around 90 percent of IDPs are on the run or sheltering outside PoC sites.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 was expected to reach 10,000 people.
Due to the many years of civil war, South Sudan's culture is heavily influenced by its neighbours. Many South Sudanese fled to Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda where they interacted with the nationals and learned their languages and culture. Most of those who remained in Sudan until or after independence partially assimilated to Sudanese culture and speakJuba ArabicorSudanese Arabic.
Most South Sudanese value knowing one's tribal origin, its traditional culture anddialecteven while in exile anddiaspora. Although the common languages spoken are Juba Arabic and English,Swahilimight be introduced to the population to improve the country's relations with itsEast Africanneighbours.
Many music artists from South Sudan use English, Swahili, Juba Arabic, their native African language or a mix of all. Popular artists like Barbz,Yaba Angelosi, De Peace Child singAfro-beat,R&B, andZouk;Dynamqis popular for hisreggaereleases; and Emmanuel Kembe who singsfolk, reggae and Afro-beat.Also hip hop artists likeEmmanuel Jal, FTG Metro, Flizzame and Dugga Mulla (of FMG). Emmanuel being one of the South Sudaneses music artists who have broken through on an international levelwith his unique form ofhip hopand a positive message in his lyrics.Jal, a formerchild soldierturned musician, received good airplay and album reviews in the UKand has also been sought out for the lecture circuit with major talks at popular talkfests likeTED.
While former Information MinisterBarnaba Marial Benjaminvowed that South Sudan will respectfreedom of the pressand allow journalists unrestricted access in the country, the chief editor ofJubanewspaperThe Citizenclaimed 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 anAl Jazeerareport to the difficultySPLMhas faced in reforming itself as a legitimate government after years of leading a rebellion against the Sudanese government.The Citizenis 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 likeNorthern Bahr el Ghazal.In May 2020,South Sudan Friendship Presswas established as the country's first dedicated online news website.Nile citizensis laid out as the nation's committed web-based news site.
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. TheCommittee to Protect Journalistshad voiced concerns over media freedoms in South Sudan in September.The NSS released the journalists without charge after having held them for 18 days.
In 2015, Salva Kiir threatened to kill journalists who reported "against the country".Work conditions have become terrible for journalists, and many have left the country, such as documentarian Ochan Hannington.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.
In August 2017, a 26-year-old American journalist, Christopher Allen, was killed inKaya,Yei River State, during fighting between government and opposition forces. Christopher Allen was a freelance journalist who had worked for several U.S. news outlets. He had been reportedly embedded with the opposition forces in South Sudan for a week before he was killed.The same month, President Salva Kiir said the millions of civilians fleeing South Sudan were being driven by the propaganda from social media users conspiring against his government.Just a month prior in July 2017, access to major news websites and popular blogs includingSudan Tribuneand Radio Tamazujhad been blocked by the government without formal notice.In June 2020, access toSudans Post, a local news website, was blocked by the government following the publication of an article deemed defamatory by the NSS.Two months later, Qurium Media Foundation, a Swedish non-profit organization, announced that it has deployed a mirror for the website to circumvent the government blocking.
Many traditional and modern games and sports are popular in South Sudan, particularly wrestling and mock battles. The traditional sports were mainly played after the harvest seasons to celebrate the harvests and finish the farming seasons. During the matches, they smeared themselves withochre– perhaps to enhance the grip or heighten their perception. The matches attracted large numbers of spectators who sang, played drums and danced in support of their favourite wrestlers. Though these were perceived as competition, they were primarily for entertainment.Association footballis 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 theCECAFAyouth football competitions. Barely a month earlier, it had also hosted the larger East African Schools Sports tournaments.
TheSouth Sudan national association football teamjoined theConfederation of African Footballin February 2012 and became a fullFIFAmember in May 2012.The team played its first match againstTusker FCof theKenyan Premier Leagueon 10 July 2011 in Juba as part of independence celebrations,scoring early but losing 1–3 to the more experienced team.Famous South Sudanese footballers areMachop Chol,James Moga,Richard Justin,Athir Thomas,Goma Genaro Awad,Khamis Leyano,Khamis Martin, William Afani Clicks andRoy Gulwak.
The South Sudanese can boast links to top basketball players.Luol Dengwas aNational Basketball Associationstar in the United States; at the international level, he representedGreat Britain. Other leading international basketball players from South Sudan includeManute Bol,Kueth Duany,Deng Gai,Ater Majok,Wenyen Gabriel, andThon Maker. TheSouth Sudan national basketball teamplayed its first match against theUganda national basketball teamon 10 July 2011 in Juba.The nation made their debut at theFIBA Basketball World Cupin2023. The also made theirAfroBasketdebut in2021finishing 7th.
One athlete from South Sudan,Guor Marial, competed in the2012 Summer Olympics. Due to South Sudan not yet having an official Olympics organization, and Marial not yet possessing American citizenship, he, along with three athletes from the formerNetherlands Antilles, competed under the banner ofIndependent Olympic Athletes.
On 2 August at the 128th IOC Session, South Sudan was granted full recognition of itsNational Olympic Committee.South Sudan competed at the 2016 Summer Olympicswith three athletes in track and field. No medals were won during this Olympics.
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