Recent History
Southern Sudan was an autonomous region of the Republic of Sudan from 2005, after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the government of Sudan and the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Army to 2011, when South Sudan gained independence.
After several decades of a civil war that was one of the longest lasting and deadliest wars of the latter 20th century (the First Sudanese Civil War and the Second Sudanese Civil War) between the primarily Muslim and Arab government based in the north and Christian and animist people of the south that demanded more regional autonomy, a peace agreement known as the Naivasha Agreement was signed on January 9, 2005, giving autonomy to the state.
On January 9, 2005, the Government of Southern Sudan was established after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. John Garang, the former rebel leader of Sudan People’s Liberation Army/Movement, as President of the Government of Southern Sudan and Vice President of Sudan. A constitution was adopted in December 2005.
In July 2005 Garang died in a helicopter crash in Uganda, and was succeeded in both posts by Salva Kiir Mayardit, with Riek Machar as Vice-President of Southern Sudan.
A referendum on independence for Southern Sudan was held from 9 to 15 January 2011. A 96% vote in favour of secession was received and Independence as the World’s newest democracy was celebrated on 11 July 2010.
Progress
The challenges of establishing a new nation and supplying the infrastructure required to support commercial and economic development should not be under-estimated. The new government has enthusiastically and actively gone about the establishment of order and system in the severely run-down and war-torn country.
Progress is immediately evident in the following areas;
- A new currency has been initiated,
- A new constitution, based on world’s best practice has been introduced,
- Statute has been written and is being passed by parliament on a daily basis,
- Law and order and a judicial system has been established,
- Passports and civilian control established,
- Border controls have been initiated,
- Building of roads and government offices,
- Establishment of ministries of governance,
- Conversion of the SPLA to the Ministry of Defence,
- A new airport is being constructed, and
- The banking system is being commercialised.
Prospects
South Sudan intends to pay for the re-construction of its run down infrastructure through oil receipts, understood to amount to about $3bn per year. Currently, the oil is exported via pipelines through Sudan which are owned by Sudan. This remains a matter of conflict and resolution is necessary.
Rapid growth in the construction sector will be underpinned by a huge investment in road, rail and power infrastructure all announced by the government. The people of South Sudan enjoy huge support from the west and it can expect both financial and military protection for some time. While a strong fighting ethic still survives within the population, the country will not be attractive to dissident Islamic terror groups.
The prospects for international mining and development investment in South Sudan are excellent. The mineral endowment of the country has been neglected for 60 years or so and it is probably the largest inhabitable, accessible, un-explored land area remaining. The government and the people are friendly and enthusiastically welcome investors. Government is in the process of putting excellent investment friendly measures into place. The Minerals Act of 2011 is generous in the concession area sizes that can be explored and the time allowed to adequately carry out such work.