After Partition: The Perils of South Sudan

The partition of South Sudan from the largest country on the African continent – Sudan, took place on July 9, 2011.1 The northern portion retained the name Sudan while the newly formed southern state would be known as South Sudan. South Sudan became the newest member of the United Nations (UN) with comparatively little infrastructure and limited arrangements for shared sovereignty by the international community. The partition process was undertaken with oversight from the United Nations and the African Union. It was rather idealistically considered a prelude to an enduring peace within this traditionally troubled African region.

The former unitary state of Sudan had been plagued by bitter internecine conflict for more than half a century, and as a result, an estimated 2.5 million people lost their lives and over five million were internally displaced.