South Sudan (/suːˈdɑːn,-ˈdæn/), officially theRepublic of South Sudan, is alandlocked country in East Africa.[19] It is bordered bySudan to the north,Ethiopia to the east, theDemocratic Republic of the Congo to the southwest,Uganda to the south,Kenya to the southeast and to 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 River system 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 an estimated population of just over 12.7 million in 2024.Juba is the capital and largest city.
The South Sudanese population is composed mostly ofNilotic peoples spanning 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.[25] The majority of inhabitants adhere to Christianity or varioustraditional indigenous faiths, with a sizeableMuslim minority.
The nameSudan is a name given to ageographical region to the south of theSahara, stretching from Western Africa to eastern Central Africa. The name derives from theArabicbilād as-sūdān (بلاد السودان), or the "Land of theBlacks".[32] The term was first used byArab traders, historians and geographers.[33]
The Nilotic people 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 and Bari settled inEquatoria. TheZande,Mundu,Avukaya andBaka, who entered South Sudan in the 16th century, established the region's largest state of Equatoria Region.[citation needed]
Of South Sudan's ethnic groups the Dinka are the largest, the Nuer the second-largest, the Zande the third-largest, and the Bari the fourth-largest. They are found in theMaridi,Yambio, and Tombura districts in thetropical rainforest belt ofWestern Equatoria, the Adio of Azande client inYei,Central Equatoria, andWestern Bahr el Ghazal. In the 18th century, the Avungarasib rose to power over the rest of Azande society, a domination that continued into the 20th century.[34] 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 Nile curtailed the spread of Islam to the south, thus allowing the southern tribes to retain much of their political and religious institutions.
British colonial policy in Sudan had a long history of emphasising the development of the Arabised north and largely ignoring the non-Arabised 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 theKhartoum government led to uprisings, revolts, and the longest civil war on the continent.[35][36] People affected by the violence included the Dinka, Nuer, Shilluk, Anyuak,Murle, Bari,Mundari, Baka,Balanda Bviri,Boya,Didinga,Jiye,Kakwa, Kaligi,Kuku,Lotuka, Nilotic,Toposa, and Zande.[37]
The Azande/Zande 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, theBelgians and theMahdists to maintain their independence.Ottoman Egypt, under the rule ofKhediveIsmail Pasha, first attempted to control the region in the 1870s, establishing the province ofEquatoria in the southern portion. Egypt's first appointed governor wasSamuel Baker, commissioned in 1869, followed byCharles George Gordon in 1874, and byEmin Pasha in 1878.[38]
TheMahdist Revolt of the 1880s destabilised 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 Incident occurred at present-dayKodok; Britain and France almost went to war over the region.[38] Britain then treated South Sudan as a distinct entity with a different stage of development than the North. This policy was legalised 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.[39]
The region has been negatively affectedby two civil wars since Sudanese independence: from 1955 to 1972, the Sudanese government fought theAnyanya rebel army (Anya-Nya is a term in theMadi language which means "snake venom")[40] during theFirst Sudanese Civil War, followed by theSudan People's Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M) in theSecond Sudanese Civil War for 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 becomerefugees both within and outside the country.
South Sudan has an estimated population of 12.7 million people in 2024,[41] but, given the lack of a census in several decades, this estimate may be inaccurate. The economy is predominantly rural and relies chiefly onsubsistence farming.[42][43] 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 referendum was 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.[44] On 23 January 2011, a steering committee on post-independence said the land would be named the Republic of Sudan. Other names considered wereAzania, Nile Republic,Kush Republic and even Juwama, aportmanteau forJuba,Wau andMalakal, three major cities.[45] 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.[46] As of March 2025, the region ofAbyei still remains disputed. A separate referendum was to be held in Abyei on whether they want to join Sudan or South Sudan;[47] however an official referendum was never held.[48][49] TheSouth Kordofan conflict broke out in June 2011 between theArmy of Sudan and the SPLA over theNuba Mountains.
On 9 July 2011, South Sudan became the 54th independent country in Africa[50] (9 July is now celebrated asIndependence Day, a national holiday[51]) and since 14 July 2011, South Sudan is the 193rd member of the United Nations.[52] On 27 July 2011, South Sudan became the 54th country to join theAfrican Union.[53][54] In September 2011,Google Maps recognised South Sudan as an independent country, after a massive crowdsourcing mapping initiative was launched.[55]
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.[56] 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.[56][57] 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 clashes intensified between theNuer White Army of theLouNuer and theMurle.[58] The White Army warned it would wipe out the Murle and would also fight South Sudanese andUN forces sent to the area aroundPibor.[59]
In March 2012, South Sudanese forces seized theHeglig oil fields in lands claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan in the province ofSouth Kordofan afterconflict with Sudanese forces in the South Sudanese state ofUnity.[60] South Sudan withdrew on 20 March, and the Sudanese Army entered Heglig two days later.
On 5 September 2013, an article written by analyst Duop Chak Wuol was published by the US-based South Sudan News Agency (SSNA).[61] 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.[62] Fighting broke out, igniting theSouth Sudanese Civil War. Ugandan troops were deployed to fight alongside South Sudanese government forces against the rebels.[63] 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 opposition and were subsequently broken. A peace agreement was signed in Ethiopia under threat of United Nations sanctions for both sides in August 2015.[64] Machar returned to Juba in 2016 and was appointed vice-president.[65] Following a second break-out of violence in Juba, Machar was replaced as vice-president[66] and he fled the country[67] as the conflict erupted again. Rebel in-fighting has become a major part of the conflict.[68] 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.[69]
About 400,000 people are estimated to have been killed in the war,[70] including notable atrocities such as the2014 Bentiu massacre.[71] 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.[72] 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.[73]
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".[76]
Admission into the EAC and planned democratic elections (2016–present)
Thefirst democratic elections in South Sudan since the start of the civil war were 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.[78] In September 2024, Kiir's office announced that the elections would be postponed an additional two years, to December 2026.[79]
In 2025, violence expanded across South Sudan as ceasefire violations and fighting between government forces and opposition groups intensified inJonglei,Unity, andUpper Nile states. Aerial bombardments, river based operations, ambushes, and retaliatory attacks were reported. These incidents resulted in civilian casualties, displacement, and the loss of livelihoods.[80]
In early March,clashes between the Army and the rebelNuer White Army in the town ofNasir left dozens dead. On 26 March 2025, Vice-President Riek Machar was arrested on orders of President Salva Kiir claiming he had instigated and supported the White Army, despite the White Army denying any ties. The arrest was met by a response from theSPLM-IO stating such an act violates the ceasefire that ended the South Sudanese civil war in 2020. Machar's arrest was accompanied by the mass sacking of his supporters, and the arrival of a unit from theUgandan armed forces invited into the country by Kiir to help fight against the White Army.[81]
UN Secretary-GeneralAntonio Guterres stated that the "peace agreement is in shambles" and South Sudan is on "the edge of a collapse into civil war" while theAfrican Union has sent a delegation to try to deescalate the conflict.[81]
South Sudan lies between latitudes3° and13°N, and longitudes24° and36°E. It is covered in tropical forest, swamps, and grassland. TheWhite Nile passes through the country, passing by Juba.[82] The Sudd is formed by theWhite Nile, known locally as theBahr al Jabal, meaning "Mountain Sea".[83]
South Sudan's forest reserves also provided habitat forbongo,giant forest hogs,red river hogs, forest elephants,chimpanzees, and forest monkeys. Surveys begun in 2005 byWCS in 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.[citation needed]
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 Index mean score of 9.45/10, ranking it fourth globally out of 172 countries.[84]
South Sudan has a tropical climate, characterised 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).[86]
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"[87] and the shift to southerly and southwesterly winds leading to slightly lower temperatures, higher humidity, and more cloud coverage.[88]
One study has showed thatclimate 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.[89]
Fishing in theSudd Wetland, one of the largest wetlands in the world
South Sudan includes theSudd, one of the world's largestwetlands.[90]The total area under protection is around 143,000 km2 (55,000 sq mi) spread over 23 protected areas which account for 15% of the South Sudanese territory. The largest protected area is theSudd Wetland, which is an important bird life area covering 57,000 km2 (22,000 sq mi). It is also aRamsar Site with over 400 bird species, 100 mammal species, and 100 fish species. Many of the protected areas are exploited for illegal hunting and rearing of livestock.[90]
Salva Kiir Mayardit, the first president of South Sudan. His trademarkStetson hat was a gift from United States PresidentGeorge W. Bush.South Sudan's presidential guard on Independence Day, 2011
On 8 May 2021, South Sudan PresidentSalva Kiir announced a dissolution of Parliament as part of a 2018 peace deal to set up a new legislative body that will number 550 lawmakers.[95] According to 2023V-Dem Democracy indices South Sudan is third lowest rankedelectoral democracy in Africa.[96]
A young South Sudanese girl smiling in traditional attire
This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(September 2025)
The capital of South Sudan is located atJuba, which is also the state capital ofCentral Equatoria and 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 city to serve as the seat of government.[97][98] It was planned that the capital city would be changed to the more centrally locatedRamciel.[99] 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,[100] a place inLakes state near the borders with Central Equatoria andJonglei. Ramciel is considered to be the geographical centre of the country,[101] and the late pro-independence leaderJohn Garang allegedly 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.[102] The design, planning, and construction of the city was supposed to take as many as five years, government ministers said, and the move of national institutions to the new capital was supposed to be implemented in stages.[100] As of 2024, the relocation project is stalled.[103]
The terms of a peace agreement signed on 22 February 2020, South Sudan is divided into ten states, with two administrative areas and one area with special administrative status.[104][105]
TheKafia Kingi area is disputed between South Sudan and Sudan and theIlemi Triangle is disputed between South Sudan and Kenya.
Since independence, relations withSudan have been changing. Sudan's PresidentOmar al-Bashir first announced, in January 2011, that dual citizenship in the North and the South would be allowed,[82] but upon the independence of South Sudan he retracted the offer. He has also suggested an EU-style confederation.[106]Essam Sharaf, Prime Minister ofEgypt after the2011 Egyptian Revolution, made his first foreign visit toKhartoum andJuba in the lead-up to South Sudan's secession.[107] Israel quickly recognised South Sudan as an independent country,[108] and is host to thousands ofrefugees from South Sudan, many of whom have finally been granted temporary resident status more than a decade later.[109] According to American sources, President Obama officially recognised the new state afterSudan,Egypt, Germany andKenya were among the first to recognise the country's independence on 8 July 2011.[110][111] 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, the United Kingdom andNorway.[112][a]
Full membership in theArab League has been assured, should the country's government choose to seek it,[123] though it could also opt for observer status.[124] It was admitted to UNESCO on 3 November 2011.[125] On 25 November 2011, it officially joined theIntergovernmental Authority on Development, a regional grouping of East African states.[126]
The United States supported the 2011 referendum on South Sudan's independence.The New York Times reported, "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."[127] The US 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.[128] 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 authorisation. Absent a licence, current Sudanese sanction regulations will continue to prohibit US persons from dealing in property and interests that benefit Sudan or the Government of Sudan.[129] 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.[130]
In July 2019, UN ambassadors of 37 countries, including South Sudan, signed a joint letter to theUNHRC defending China's treatment ofUyghurs in theXinjiang region.[131]
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.[132][133]
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 Sudan would eventually maintain land, air, and riverine forces.[134][135]
As of 2015[update], South Sudan has the third highest military spending as a percentage of GDP in the world, behind only Oman andSaudi Arabia.[136]
Campaigns of atrocities against civilians have been attributed to the SPLA.[137] In the SPLA/M's attempt to disarm rebellions among theShilluk andMurle, they burned scores of villages, raped hundreds of women and girls and killed an untold number of civilians.[138] Civilians allegingtorture claim 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.[138] In May 2011, the SPLA allegedly set fire to over 7,000 homes inUnity State.[139]
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".[138] In 2010, theCIA issued a warning that "over the next five years ... a new mass killing orgenocide is most likely to occur in southern Sudan."[138] TheNuer White Army has stated it wished to "wipe out the entireMurle tribe on the face of the earth as the only solution to guarantee long-term security of Nuer's cattle"[59] and activists, includingMinority Rights Group International, warned of genocide inJonglei.[140] At the beginning of 2017, genocide was imminent again.[141]
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.[142][143]
In March 2016, the UN reported that the South Sudan Army was being paid not in money but with a "do what you can and take what you can" policy that allowed them to confiscate cattle and other possessions, and even to rape and murder civilian women as a form of salary.[146][147] The report described all sides but especially the South Sudan government SPLA forces and allied militia making targeted attacks on civilians based on ethnicity, systematically destroying towns and villages.[148]
Amnesty International claimed the army suffocated more than 60 people accused of supporting the opposition to death in a shipping container.[149]
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."[150] The Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan was established by the Human Rights Council in March 2016.[150]
In 2010, thechild marriage rate in southern Sudan was 52%.[152][b] It is driven by socioeconomic factors such as poverty and gender inequality.[153] Child marriage in South Sudan is associated with elevated maternal mortality[154] and higher rates of school dropout.[155] Economic and legal constraints undercustomary law make if difficult for women to get a divorce.[156][157]
The economy of South Sudan is one of the world's most underdeveloped,[158] with South Sudan having little existing infrastructure and the highest maternal mortality[159] and female illiteracy rates in the world as of 2011[update].[160][161] South Sudan exports timber to theinternational market. The region also contains manynatural resources such as petroleum, iron ore, copper,chromium ore,zinc,tungsten,mica, silver, gold,diamonds,hardwoods,limestone andhydropower.[162] The country's economy, as in many other developing countries, is heavily dependent on agriculture.
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.[158] The country has the third-largestoil reserves inSub-Saharan Africa.[163] 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.[164]
Oil and gas concessions in Sudan – 2004
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.[165] Since South Sudan relies on pipelines,refineries, andPort Sudan's facilities inRed Sea state in Sudan, the agreement stated that the government of Sudan inKhartoum would receive a 50% share of all oil revenues.[165][166] This arrangement was maintained during thesecond period of autonomy from 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.[166] 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.[165]
After independence, South Sudan objected to Sudan charging US$34 perbarrel to 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%.[167] In 2017,Nile Drilling & Services became 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.[168] 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).[169]
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.[170] 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).[171]
Inflation, measured by consumer prices, rose to about 45% in 2011 and 2012, before falling to very low levels in 2013 and 2014. It increased sharply in 2015 and peaked at 380% in 2016, followed by a steady decline through 2019. Inflation remained low or negative between 2020 and 2022, before rising again in 2024 to around 90%.[172] Inflation was driven by the monetization of the fiscal deficit by the Bank of South Sudan, and fell after the pace of money printing slowed, falling to about 102% the following year. Inflation severely constrained household purchasing power, leaving many families in both urban and rural areas unable to afford even minimum food needs.[173]
The presidents of Kenya and Rwanda invited theAutonomous Government of Southern Sudan to apply for membership to theEast African Community upon the independence of South Sudan in 2011,[115][174] and South Sudan was reportedly an applicant country as of mid-July 2011.[115][175] Analysts suggested that South Sudan's early efforts to integrate infrastructure, includingrail links and oil pipelines,[176] with systems in Kenya and Uganda indicated intention to pivot away from dependence onSudan and toward the EAC.
On 17 September 2011, theDaily Nation quoted 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.[177] This was contradicted by PresidentSalva Kiir, who announced South Sudan had officially embarked on the application process one month later.[178] The application was initially deferred by the EAC in December 2012,[179] and incidents with Ugandanboda-boda operators in South Sudan created political tension.[180]
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.[181] 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.[182]
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.[183][184]
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.[185]
South Sudan was eventually approved for membership inEast African Community in March 2016,[186] and formally acceded with the signature of the treaty in April 2016.[187]
South Sudan has 248 km (154 mi) of single-track1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge railway line from the Sudanese border toWau terminus. There are proposed extensions from Wau toJuba. There are also plans to link Juba with theKenyan andUgandan railway networks.
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 servesNimule andAkobo, 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.[191]
From the establishment of South Sudan as a state in 2011, theIPC classified food insecurity in the country at stressed levels, corresponding to phase 2, with an estimated 24.5% of the population experiencing pressure on their food security.[192]Famine reportedly led to deaths inBentiu andLatjoor states in mid-2011, though the state governments of both denied hunger there was severe enough to cause fatalities.[193]
In April 2012, food insecurity was slightly below the seasonal average, although conditions varied by area. Populations living along the border withSudan, about 10% of the population, were assessed to be in phase 4, "emergency". Food insecurity at the time was driven by unfavorable terms of trade for livestock holders, increased reliance on markets during the lean season, conflict related displacement along the border, high food prices linked to the devaluation of theSouth Sudanese pound, border closures with Sudan, persistent insecurity from cattle raiding, and the arrival of refugees and returnees from Sudan.[194] In November that same year, the food situation was improved compared to a year ago, largely due to better rainfall and a good harvest.[195]
This positive trend continued in July 2013. Still, more than 1.6 million South Sudanese were in phase 3, "crisis" or above.[196] The following year, however, saw a substantial deterioration compared with the previous year. More than 3.5 million people, about 30% of the population, were classified in crisis or emergency food insecurity, (IPC phases 3 and 4).[197] Thecivil war that began in December 2013 disrupted agricultural activities by preventing farmers from planting seeds or forcing them to abandon their fields after planting. Severe flooding during the rainy season further aggravated the situation.[198] Food insecurity conditions during this period varied considerably across the country, with the three most conflict affected states,Upper Nile,Jonglei, andUnity, experiencing significantly more severe conditions than the other seven states of South Sudan.[197] Food security showed seasonal improvement in mid-2014, particularly in areas not affected by conflict, due to normal rainfall, good crop performance, and the start of the green harvest. However, displacement inGreater Upper Nile limited planting and reduced cereal production. Despite gains since mid 2014, food insecurity remained well above normal for a harvest period, with about 1.5 million people projected to remain in crisis or emergency, many relying on coping strategies such as kinship support and asset depletion.[199]
In September 2015, an estimated 3.9 million people, about 34% of the population, were classified as severely food insecure, including 3.1 million in crisis and 800,000 in emergency. Conditions had worsened sharply compared with the previous year, with particular concern for around 30,000 people in Unity State experiencing catastrophe and at risk of famine. The lasting impact of conflict, high food prices, erratic rainfall, weakened livelihood systems, and restricted humanitarian access continued to strain food security across much of the country, including areas previously considered relatively stable.[200] Food insecurity expanded for the first time into the GreaterEquatoria region, driven by market disruption, economic decline, insecurity, and area specific crop losses. The economic decline pushed food prices to exceptionally high levels, which sharply reduced household purchasing power. Ongoing conflict continued to disrupt livelihoods through displacement.[200]
The food and nutrition security situation worsened markedly across much of South Sudan in early 2016. By April, an estimated 4.3 million people were classified in IPC phases 3, 4, or 5, a sharp increase compared with both early 2016 and the same period the previous year. The decline was largely attributed to lack of physical security, economic deterioration, and the exhaustion of household food stocks from the previous harvest.[201] Displaced populations, returnees, and low income households with limited assets and purchasing power were among the most affected, including significant numbers of food insecure urban residents.[201] By August of the same year, the number of people classified as severely food insecure had risen to about 4.4 million, despite seasonal increases in food availability.[202]
This had severe consequences for children. Nationally, only 6% of children aged 6 to 23 months received a minimum acceptable diet, and just 16% of infants aged 6 to 8 months were introduced to complementary foods on time. These inadequate feeding practices undermined healthy growth and development, while 42% of children under five experienced at least one common childhood illness, further worsening nutritional outcomes.[203]
In January 2017, food security conditions in South Sudan continued to worsen.[204]
On 20 February 2017, theUnited Nations declared afamine inUnity and northernBahr el Ghazal states and warned that it could spread rapidly without further action.[205][206] A formal declaration of famine indicates that deaths from hunger had already begun to occur.[207] TheWorld Food Programme reported that 67% of the South Sudanese population (4.9 million people) needed food urgently,[205][208] and at least 100,000, according to the UN, were in imminent danger of death by starvation.[209]
The famine disproportionately affectedinternally displaced persons and host communities that were already impacted by the ongoing conflict.[210] More than one million children were estimated to be acutely malnourished across the country, with over a quarter of a million already suffering from severe acute malnutrition.[207]
Food insecurity did not stop once the famine was declared over in June 2017.[211] In September 2017, acute malnutrition had worsened compared with the same period in 2016 and remained high across many parts of South Sudan, with several counties experiencing extremely critical levels of acute malnutrition and additional counties recording critical levels.[212] In January 2018, the number of people facing severe food insecurity during the post harvest season had increased by about 40% compared with the same period the previous year. The deterioration was mainly driven by long running conflict and displacement, which reduced crop production, disrupted livelihoods, and coincided with continued macroeconomic decline. Livelihoods were further weakened by extreme weather events, including prolonged dry spells and flooding, as well as crop damagingpest outbreaks such asfall armyworm.[213] In September of that year, acute malnutrition conditions showed modest improvement compared with the same period the year before. No county recorded global acute malnutrition rates exceeding the extreme critical threshold of 30%.[214]
In January 2019, more than 6 million people experienced acute food insecurity. Roughly 30,000 people were living in IPC Phase 5, "Catastrophe". Acute food insecurity remained widespread due to conflict, displacement, erratic rainfall, and long term asset depletion. These factors resulted in poor harvests that met only about half of national cereal needs in 2019. They also disrupted livelihoods and reduced access to food sources beyond markets. The economic crisis further reduced purchasing power, while dry periods, flooding, and crop pests added to the pressure on food availability.[215] In August 2019, the number of people in acute food insecurity had increased to 6.35 million,[216] but in January 2020, the share of the population facing acute food insecurity was about 9% lower than at the same time the previous year.[217]
Acute malnutrition among children under five increased markedly between 2018 and 2019, rising from 13% to 16%, which exceeded the emergency threshold of 15%.[218] Acute malnutrition was driven by a combination of poor diet quality and limited dietary diversity, with only a small share of children meeting minimum dietary standards, alongside a very high prevalence of disease. Flooding intensified health risks by increasingmalaria transmission and reducing access to safe drinking water, and more than half of flood affected counties recorded critical levels of acute malnutrition. Disease outbreaks, includingmeasles in some counties, added to the severity of the situation.[219]
During the fall of 2020, an estimated 6.35 million people, about 52.6% of the population, faced acute food insecurity. During this period, the impacts ofCOVID-19 and related control measures compounded existing drivers, further worsening conditions.[220] No IPC report was issued during 2021.[221] By early 2022, the number affected had risen to 6.83 million,[222] and by autumn 2022, it had declined to 6.6 million people.[223] One year later, the number of people facing acute food insecurity had further declined to 5.83 million.[224] However, during the autumn of 2024, conditions related to acute food insecurity and malnutrition in South Sudan worsened again. Economic decline, recurrent weather extremes, particularly extensive flooding, together with ongoing conflict and insecurity all contributed to the deterioration. Additional strain was placed on the country by the arrival of returnees and refugees fleeing thewar in Sudan. About 6.3 million people were assessed to be experiencing acute food insecurity. Within this group, approximately 41,000 people were classified as IPC Phase 5 Catastrophe, including populations inMalakal County and tens of thousands of South Sudanese returnees who had fled the conflict in Sudan.[225] In autumn 2025, acute food insecurity and malnutrition in South Sudan remained at extremely high levels. Conditions were driven mainly by localized conflict and widening insecurity that displaced large populations, alongside widespread flooding that disrupted livelihoods and agricultural production. During this period, an estimated 5.97 million people were facing high levels of acute food insecurity.[226]
Thewater supply in South Sudan is faced with numerous challenges. Although theWhite Nile runs 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 organisations is available to improve water supply.
Numerous non-governmental organisations support water supply in Southern Sudan, such asWater is Basic,Water for South Sudan, the Obakki Foundation[227] and Bridgton-Lake Region Rotary Club[228] from North America.
South Sudan has a population of approximately 11 million[229][230] and 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 of infrastructure development, and major destruction and displacement. More than 2 million people have died, and more than 4 million areinternally displaced persons or becamerefugees as a result of the civil war and its impact.
Children in Yambio, Western Equatoria, South SudanRural school children participating in theUSAID-funded Southern Sudan Interactive Radio Instruction project, July 2010
Woman in South SudanA village in Kimotong, South SudanJohn Garang Square in Juba
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;[231][232] however, Southern Sudanese officials rejected the census results of Southern Sudan because "the central bureau of statistics inKhartoum refused to share the national Sudan raw census data with the southern Sudan centre for census, statistics and evaluation".[233]
In addition, President Kiir "suspected figures were being deflated in some regions and inflated in others, and that made the final tally 'unacceptable'."[234] He claimed that the Southern Sudanese population actually constituted one-third of that of Sudan, though the census showed it to be only 22%.[232]
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."[234] The chief American technical adviser for the census in the south said that the census-takers probably reached only 89% of the population.[235]
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.[236]
The majorethnic groups present in South Sudan are theDinka at approximately 40 per cent of the population, theNuer at approximately 20 per cent, and theAzande at approximately 10 per cent, as well as theShilluk andBari.[237] Currently, around 800,000 expatriates from theHorn of Africa are living in South Sudan.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed]
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.[238]
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."[239]
Seventy languages are spoken in South Sudan, of which 60 areindigenous and granted constitutional status as "national languages" that "shall be respected, developed and promoted".[241] English is the soleofficial language,[1] being constitutionally enshrined as the "official working language" of government and the "language of instruction at all levels of education".[242] English had been the principal language of what is now South Sudan since 1972, serving as the common medium for administrative purposes.[243] However, few South Sudanese speak it as a first language.[244]
The majority of languages spoken in South Sudan are classified within theNilo-Saharan Language family, specifically the subbranches ofNile Sudanic andCentral Sudanic; most of the remainder are part of theAdamawa-Ubangi branch 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;[244] other major indigenous languages includeMurle,Luo,Ma'di, andOtuho. Six indigenous languages are threatened withextinction, with another 11 declining.[244]
Arabic, aSemitic language of theAfroasiatic family, is the most widely spoken language.[245] The most common variety isJuba Arabic, also known as South Sudanese Arabic, acreole language that serves as thelingua franca for local governments, national commerce, and in urban areas.[246] 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 facto language of national identity.[244] Arabic had been recognised as South Sudan's second official language, alongside English, in its 2005 interim constitution,[247] but has no legal status in the current transitional constitution adopted in 2011.
Swahili, aBantu language spoken primarily in East Africa, has been proposed as a second official language. In 2011, South Sudan's ambassador toKenya stated thatSwahili would be introduced in South Sudan with the goal of supplanting Arabic as alingua franca, in keeping with the country's orientation toward theEast African Community rather than Sudan and theArab League.[248] Following the South Sudan's ascension to theEast African Community in 2019, the government has moved to adopt Swahili into the official curricula at primary school.[249][250] Nevertheless, South Sudan submitted an application to join the Arab League as amember state on 25 March 2014, which is still pending.[251] In an interview with the newspaperAsharq Al-Awsat, the Foreign Minister of South SudanDeng Alor Kuol said: South Sudan is the closest African country to theArab world, and we speak a special kind of Arabic known as Juba Arabic.[252] Sudan supports South Sudan's request to join the Arab League.[253] Juba Arabic is alingua franca in South Sudan.
South Sudan is predominantly Christian.[255] Other religions include various traditionalindigenous belief systems, andIslam.[256][257] Exact figures are lacking due to internal displacement from ongoing conflict, large numbers of frequently-migrating pastoralists, and insufficient government resources.[258][259] The lastofficial census to take into account religion was in 1956, where a majority of people were classified as adherents of traditional beliefs orChristianity, while 18% wereMuslim.[260] In 2012, thePew Research Center estimated its population to be 60.5% Christian, 32.9% following folk religions, and 6.2% Muslim.[261] It maintained the same estimate in 2020.[262]
The US State Department reported in 2023 that the South Sudan Council of Churches and the government Bureau of Religious Affairs give the principal Christian denominations as Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Sudan Interior, Presbyterian Evangelical, and African Inland Churches. Smaller congregations of Eritrean Orthodox, Ethiopian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Seventh-day Adventists, and Jehovah's Witnesses are also present.[262]
Christianity has grown rapidly in the country over the last two decades. Despite Europeanmissionary activity beginning as early as the mid-19th century, the USLibrary of Congress states that "in the early 1990s possibly no more than 10% of southern Sudan's population wasChristian".[267] During this same period, official records ofSudan claimed that one-quarter of the population of present-day South Sudan practised varioustraditional religions while only 5% were Christians.[268] Various scholarly sources, as well as theUS Department of State,[269] stated that a majority of southern Sudanese maintained traditionalanimist indigenous beliefs at the start of the 21st century, with Christians remaining a small minority.[270][271][272]
As in other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Christianity is oftenblended with traditional beliefs.[273] 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".[274] Many religious organisations 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.[259]
Indigenousanimist beliefs 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.[243] 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 use music and dance.
Although the internal conflicts that precipitated Sudan's partition have been characterised as between Muslims and Christians, some scholars reject this notion, claiming Muslim and Christian sides sometimes overlapped.[275] 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.[259]
In 2011, inauguralSouth Sudanese PresidentSalva Kiir, a Roman Catholic, said that South Sudan would be a nation that respectsfreedom of religion.[276] The country's transitional constitution provides for separation of religion and state, prohibits religious discrimination, and provides religious groups freedom to worship, assemble, proselytise, own property, receive financial contributions, communicate and publish materials on religious matters, and establish charitable institutions.[259] 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.[259]
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 + 4 system (similar to Kenya). Primary education consists of eight years, followed by four years of secondary 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 instruction isArabic. In 2007, South Sudan adopted English as theofficial language of 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.[277][278] The library currently employs a staff of over 40 volunteers and maintains a collection of over 13,000 books.[278] The South Sudan Library Foundation was co-founded by Yawusa Kintha and Kevin Lenahan.[277][278][279]
InPibor County located in theJonglei State, in December 2011 and January 2012,cattle raids led 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 Frontières staff went missing. The government declared the area a disaster zone and took control from local authorities.[280]
Violence against women is common in the country, and South Sudan's laws and policies have been criticised as inadequate in offering protection.[281][282]
As of December 2017, an estimated 42% of the South Sudanese population was facing severe security conditions, with most of the affected being young people and children.[283]
According to the United Nations, 8.3 million people were in need of humanitarian aid in South Sudan as of January 2021.[284]
In 2025, 7.7 million people, or 57% of the population, faced acute food insecurity, withconflict as the main driver,[285] next to escalating insecurity that displaced large numbers of people, together with recurrent flooding that continued to undermine livelihoods and agricultural production.[286]Malnutrition also worsened, with 2.3 million children at risk of acute malnutrition, amid access constraints, health service disruptions, and acholera outbreak affectingUpper Nile andUnity states.[285]
South Sudan is acknowledged to have some of the worst health indicators in the world.[287][288][289] The under-fiveinfant mortality rate is 135.3 per 1,000, whilstmaternal mortality is the highest in the world at 2,053.9 per 100,000 live births.[289] In 2004, there were only three surgeons serving in southern Sudan, with three proper hospitals, and in some areas there was just one doctor for every 500,000 people.[287]
The epidemiology ofHIV/AIDS in the South Sudan is poorly documented but the prevalence is believed around 3.1%.[290] According to a 2013 study, South Sudan "probably has the highestmalaria burden insub-Saharan Africa".[291]
As a result ofthe war that erupted in December 2013, more than 2.3 million people, one in every five people in South Sudan, were forced to flee their homes,. This included about 1.66 millioninternally displaced people (IDPs), an estimated 53.4% of whom were children, and nearly 644,900 refugees in neighbouring countries. Some 185,000 IDPs sought refuge in UN Protection of Civilians sites, while around 90% remained outside these locations, either on the move or sheltering elsewhere.[292] In response, UNHCR stepped up its engagement through an inter-agency collaborative approach under the leadership of the Humanitarian Coordinator, and working with theInternational Organization for Migration. 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.[293]
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.[293]
By January 2025, more than one million people had fled the 2023war in Sudan for South Sudan.[294] By November 2025, the continued arrivals, alongside returning South Sudanese nationals, placed additional pressure on already strained markets, services, and natural resources, while a prolonged economic crisis sharply reduced household purchasing power. These conditions were further aggravated by disease outbreaks, limited access to health care, and inadequatewater, sanitation, and hygiene services.[286]
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 Arabic orSudanese Arabic.
Most South Sudanese value knowing one's tribal origin, its traditional culture anddialect even while in exile anddiaspora. Although the common languages spoken are Juba Arabic and English,Swahili might be introduced to the population to improve the country's relations with its East African neighbours.[citation needed]
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;Dynamq is popular for hisreggae releases; and Emmanuel Kembe who singsfolk, reggae and Afro-beat.[295] 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 level[296] with his unique form ofhip hop and a positive message in his lyrics.[297] Jal, a formerchild soldier turned musician, received good airplay and album reviews in the UK[298] and has also been sought out for the lecture circuit with major talks at popular talkfests likeTED.[299]
While former Information MinisterBarnaba Marial Benjamin vowed that South Sudan will respectfreedom of the press and allow journalists unrestricted access in the country, the chief editor ofJuba newspaperThe Citizen claimed that in the absence of a formal freedom of the press law, he and his staff have faced abuse at the hands of security forces. This alleged fettering of media freedom was attributed in anAl Jazeera report to the difficultySPLM has faced in reforming itself as a legitimate government after years of leading a rebellion against the Sudanese government.The Citizen is 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.[300] In May 2020,South Sudan Friendship Press was established as the country's first dedicated online news website.[301]Nile citizens is laid out as the nation's committed web-based news site.[302]
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 criticised 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 Journalists had voiced concerns over media freedoms in South Sudan in September.[303] The NSS released the journalists without charge after having held them for 18 days.[304]
In 2015, Salva Kiir threatened to kill journalists who reported "against the country".[305] Work conditions have become terrible for journalists, and many have left the country, such as documentarian Ochan Hannington.[306] 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.[307]
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 US news outlets. He had been reportedly embedded with the opposition forces in South Sudan for a week before he was killed.[308] 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.[309] Just a month prior in July 2017, access to major news websites and popular blogs includingSudan Tribune and Radio Tamazuj[310] had been blocked by the government without formal notice.[311] 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.[312] Two months later, Qurium Media Foundation, a Swedish non-profit organisation, announced that it has deployed a mirror for the website to circumvent the government blocking.[313]
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.[314]Association football is 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 theCECAFA youth football competitions. Barely a month earlier, it had also hosted the larger East African Schools Sports tournaments.[citation needed]
One athlete from South Sudan,Guor Marial, competed in the2012 Summer Olympics. Due to South Sudan not yet having an official Olympics organisation, and Marial not yet possessing American citizenship, he, along with three athletes from the formerNetherlands Antilles, competed under the banner ofIndependent Olympic Athletes.
^The Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan, Part One, 6(1): "All indigenous languages of South Sudan are national languages and shall be respected, developed and promoted".[2]
^Source is from 2010, before South Sudan became an independent country. However, as late as July 2025, these estimates are still used, for instance in this article: www.researchgate.net/publication/395602141_Child_Marriage_and_Its_Legal_and_Cultural_Implications_In_South_Sudan this article.
^Manfredi Stefano; Tosco Mauro (2013),Language uses vs. language policy: South Sudan and Juba Arabic in the post-independence eraArchived 9 September 2018 at theWayback Machine (PDF; 301 kB), Pages 798–802, III Congresso Coordinamento Universitario per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo, Sep 2013, Turin, Italy. JUNCO, Journal of Universities and International Development Cooperation, 2014, Imagining Cultures of Cooperation – Proceedings of the III CUCS Congress, Turin 19–21 September 2013, Retrieved 9 September 2018
^International Association for the History of Religions (1959).Numen. Leiden: EJ Brill. p. 131.West Africa may be taken as the country stretching from Senegal in the West to the Cameroons in the East; sometimes it has been called the central and western Sudan, theBilad as-Sūdan, 'Land of the Blacks', of the Arabs
^Matthew LeRiche, Matthew Arnold. South Sudan: from revolution to independence. 2012. Ethnic Groups and Flashpoints. p. xv. Columbia University Press. New York.ISBN978-0-231-70414-4
^abLevering Lewis, David (1995).The Race to Fashoda. New York: Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
^Burgess, Neil; D'Amico Hales, Jennifer; Underwood, Emma (2004).Terrestrial Ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar: A Conservation Assessment. Washington, D.C.: Island Press.ISBN978-1-55963-364-2.
^D. H. Johnson,The Root Causes of Sudan's Civil Wars
^Prieto, Fernando (18 November 2014), "Did the US act as a 'defensive-positionalist' power and was it primary moved by local and regional stability concerns when it recognized South Sudan in 2011?",Research Study SIS 686
^Maxwell, Daniel, and Ben Watkins. "Humanitarian information systems and emergencies in the Greater Horn of Africa: logical components and logical linkages".Disasters 27.1 (2003): 72–90.
^"Sliding towards genocide".D+C, development and cooperation. 13 January 2017.Archived from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved27 February 2017.
^"South Sudan Refugee Crisis"(PDF).University of Virginia School of Medicine.Archived(PDF) from the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved1 October 2018.
^"Sveriges flyktingkvot".migrationsverket.se (in Swedish).Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved19 October 2021.
^Minahan, J. (2002).Encyclopedia of the Stateless Nations: S-Z. Greenwood Press. p. 1786.ISBN978-0-313-32384-3.
^Arnold, G (2003). "Book Review: Douglas H. Johnson, The Root Causes of Sudan's Civil Wars".African Journal of Political Science.8 (1): 147.
^"Sudan : Country Studies". Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. 22 March 2011. Archived fromthe original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved21 December 2013.
^Hannington, Ochan (31 October 2015)."Risking my life". D+C, development and cooperation.Archived from the original on 22 November 2015. Retrieved21 December 2015.
Walter C. Soderlund, E. Donald Briggs,The Independence of South Sudan: The Role of Mass Media in the Responsibility to Prevent, Waterloo: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2014. pp. $38.99 (paper),ISBN978-1-77112-117-0
Mohamed Omer Beshir:The Southern Sudan. Background to Conflict. C. Hurst & Co., London 1968.
Biel, Melha Rout (2007).South Sudan after the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Jena: Netzbandt Verlag.ISBN978-3-937884-01-1.
Daly, M. W.; Rolandsen, Øystein H. (2016).A History of South Sudan: From Slavery to Independence. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.ISBN978-0-521-11631-2.OCLC921821890.
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