South Sudan Independence

JUBA, South Sudan – Luol Deng just went toe to toe with Lebron James in a hard-fought five-game playoff battle. Deng’s Chicago Bulls lost the series giving him an early off-season. But instead of heading to the Caribbean to rest his weary limbs, he is here in the capital of South Sudan helping his countrymen celebrate the birth of their very own nation.  Read More »

This Saturday, South Sudanese around the world will exuberantly celebrate the birth of the new country of South Sudan. Concerted international diplomacy, including the robust efforts of the Obama administration, helped pave the way for this moment, the culmination of a 2005 peace agreement brokered by the international community between the Sudanese government and what was then the southern rebel movement, the SPLM/A, to end two decades of war. But even as the arrival of South Sudan on the world stage is evidence of a diplomatic success, the insecurity that has proliferated in both the North and the South is a sharp reminder of the need for a comprehensive (US) approach to the multiple Sudanese conflicts.  Read More »

As we observe this week’s festivities welcoming South Sudan into the community of nations, we cannot lose sight of the humanitarian crisis and possible war crimes ongoing in Sudan’s South Kordofan state, writes Congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA) in this guest blog post.  Read More »

As final preparations are underway for South Sudan’s Independence Day on July 9, media outlets from around the world are preparing to cover this historical event. Due to the complex history and continuing conflict in the area, the Enough Project has created a media backgrounder on South Sudan. We intend it to be used as a tool for journalists and bloggers who do not have extensive knowledge of the region and need to quickly get up to speed.  Read More »

JUBA, South Sudan – South Sudan’s capital is getting a fresh coat of paint. With just days to go until the world’s newest nation is born, citizens here are doing a bit of nesting.

Women were sweeping the street. Men have been painting walls and repairing potholes. All eyes will be on South Sudan this Saturday, July 9, and everyone wants to make sure that the country puts its best foot forward.  Read More »

Why would the regime in Khartoum decide to escalate right before the South’s independence?  There are tactical and strategic reasons. Tactically, the regime is bullying for a better negotiating position on where borders will be drawn and how oil revenues will be shared, with billions of dollars at stake. Regime officials are probing, attempting to ascertain whether deploying a total strategy aimed at setting the South, border areas, and Darfur on fire will draw any reaction beyond rhetorical concern from the international community. Strategically, the regime is doing what it does best: ruling by arson.  Read More »

On July 9th, South Sudan will declare its independence, becoming Africa's newest nation. The challenges it faces are many. 50 years of war and conflict have seriously undermined the capacity of institutions at all levels to provide justice. Scores of cases of human rights violations and abuses, including sexual violence have remained uninvestigated, unprosecuted or unpunished.

Conflict-related sexual violence is one of history's greatest silences. In South Sudan as elsewhere, it brings stigmatization and rejection, diseases and reproductive health issues, psychological trauma and unwanted pregnancies, and damages the entire social fabric. It has held communities hostage by preventing women from participating in public and economic life, and undertaking many chores common to rural life, from gathering water and wood, to working in the fields to sustain their families. It has kept girls away from school, and reinforced gender discrimination.  Read More »

In the wake of impotent response from U.N. peacekeepers to the Sudan Armed Forces bombing and storming of Abyei last month, sending tens of thousands of civilians fleeing, optimism in reaction to the latest Abyei agreement was measured. While international leaders and diplomats tried to sound upbeat, congratulating the northern and southern governments for “taking this step toward peace,” people from the displaced communities voiced heavy skepticism about this new paper agreement.  Read More »

Nearly three weeks into intense fighting in the Sudanese border state of South Kordofan the Sudanese government appears intent, in the face of international condemnation, to add to the already long list of serious international law violations that reports say its forces are committing on the ground.  Read More »

Establishing a country requires more than just drawing lines on a map (obviously). As the international community prepares to welcome what will be the newest nation in the world, the citizens of South Sudan are formalizing their own distinct national identity, built upon a pride rooted in the long journey to independence. The soon-to-be Republic of South Sudan has released its national anthem - fittingly written by young people, who will be so critical to the country’s future.  Read More »