Of late, some in the advocacy community have recommended that the United States provide the Government of Southern Sudan with anti-aircraft weapons system technology. In this post, Aly Verjee argues that this Cold War-esque policy is a bad idea and that the last thing Southern Sudan needs is more weaponry.
no.106 / May 23rd - 29th 2012
This Saturday, the 9th of July, South Sudan will celebrate its birth as the world’s newest country. The coming secession is the final chapter in what was one of Africa’s longest-running civil wars. For twenty-two years, southern liberation fighters battled for independence, leading to the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005. That agreement allowed for a six-year interim period culminating in a vote on secession, which Southerners voted for by an overwhelming majority earlier this year.
The upcoming independence of South Sudan is seen by many analysts as one of the most significant developments in Africa since the end of apartheid, particularly as South Sudan is the first country to defy the boundaries that were drawn by colonial powers. But while the battle for independence has been won, a multitude of challenges remain.
In this special edition of Barometer Sub-Saharan Africa, the editorial team brings together posts offering insight into a range of the issues affecting the fledgling country. Topics covered range from the fragile economy of the north; South Sudan’s neglected and recalcitrant peripheral regions; the internal political dynamics in Juba; the scramble for the region’s under-exploited land; and an argument against recent calls for the USA to arm the South.
South Sudan
South Sudan
Sudan is the focus of much media attention with its upcoming split into two different countries this week. But for those new to the Sudanese context, the analysis can be confusing. This post aims to bring readers up to speed on what's been going on in the recent and not-so-recent history of Sudan.
South Sudan
Roving Bandit, in this co-authored post, discusses the economic prospects for Southern Sudan. It is argued that while having some of the worst development indicators in the world, it's not all bad news. Ultimately, it is concluded that we should be optimistic about Southern Sudan's economic future.
South Sudan
In this post, Jina Moore interviews Rebecca Hamilton, a reporter with extensive experience in South Sudan. They discuss a range of issues pertinent to the upcoming independence including: the recent violence in Abyei and South Kordofan, the misconceptions about oil in the region and disarmament and ethnic cleansing.
South Sudan
In this post, written in 2008, academic John Akec outlined the challenges facing the region during the interim period of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Four years on, this post offers an interesting insight into what analysts were saying needed to be done to safeguard Southern Sudan's future.
South Sudan
Much attention is being paid to the conflict on what will be the international border between Sudan and South Sudan. In this post for the London School of Economics Africa Blog, Rachel Flynn - Barometer's Sub-Saharan Africa editor - argues this is not the only border that poses challenges to the new state.
South Sudan
Over the past few months, escalating violence in South Sudan has been raising fears of a new civil war in the nascent nation. While north-south disputes dominated the headlines, Naomi Pendle highlighted how potentially destabilising internal conflicts could have regional security implications.
South Sudan
Eric Reeves, who has published extensively on Sudan for more than a decade, tries to understand the logic of Khartoum’s military actions in Abyei and South Kordofan. He argues that we must understand these actions in the context of the intense economic distress in North Sudan and the regime's fears for Khartoum's economy after Southern secession.
South Sudan
In May of this year, Chris Blattman added to the ongoing debate on how the new government of South Sudan could best improve the lives of their citizens. He argued that the focus should not be on poverty reduction but rather on creating a secure and stable environment. His post stimulated a vigorous discussion in the comments section.
South Sudan
In March, Maggie Fick - a journalist living in Southern Sudan's capital Juba - highlighted how little is known about the extent of foreign investment and business interests outside of Juba. Drawing on a Norwegian Church Aid report she shed light on the largely unchecked land-grabbing that continues to occur as a result of scant land use policies and oversight mechanisms.
South Sudan
With independence comes a change of focus. Two major priorities will need to be increased coordination among development partners and the streamlining of assistance to enhance government decision making and capacity to plan and execute new policy objectives. As the World Bank notes.