Free at last
South Sudan gained independence
2011
On 9 July 2011, the Republic of South Sudan gained independence from Sudan. After more than fifty years of conflict, including two devastating civil wars that had left the region deeply scarred, one of the world’s poorest countries hoped for a new future.
South Sudan is rich in oil, while neighbouring Sudan has far fewer reserves. With the secession of the South, Sudan lost most of its oil fields and a major source of revenue. At the same time, South Sudan’s oil could only be exported through pipelines running across Sudan. The division of oil revenues became an ongoing source of tension between the two countries. Sudan demanded a share of the proceeds; South Sudan rejected those demands.
In the run-up to independence, excitement was accompanied by growing uncertainty. Would Sudan intervene? In the capital, Juba, the military presence became increasingly visible. Of a population of around eight million at the time, approximately 250,000 served in the armed forces.
Independence was celebrated on a grand scale, with a new flag and a new national anthem. On the surface, the future seemed full of promise. But beneath the celebrations, the threat of renewed conflict remained. No agreement had yet been reached over oil, and the possibility of confrontation persisted. As people danced and sang in the streets, the same question hung in the air: would Sudan attack?