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South Sudan
Africa
The world's newest country, independent since 2011, South Sudan is rich in oil but has faced ongoing conflict and humanitarian crises.
11,000,000
Population
619,745
Area (km²)
Juba
Capital
29
Historical Events
Historical Timeline
Cities
29 Events
September 22, 2025 - Machar's treason trial begins, further heightening political tensions.
September 18, 2025 - The UN condemns treason, murder, and other charges against Machar, raising fears of renewed civil war.
September 16, 2025 - A UN report exposes widespread elite corruption diverting funds from basic services, exacerbating poverty and instability.
August 18, 2025 - The UN Security Council holds a briefing, describing South Sudan at a "turning point" with worsening violence, deadlock, and humanitarian crisis affecting millions.
August 10, 2025 - August 10–12: The African Union Peace and Security Council conducts a field mission, warning of the potential for full-scale war due to escalating violence and political deadlock.
July 30, 2025 - South Sudanese and Ugandan soldiers clash along the border, resulting in at least four deaths amid regional tensions.
May 25, 2025 - Kiir is endorsed as his party's presidential candidate, warning that further election delays could reignite full-scale war.
March 04, 2025 - A Nuer militia overruns an army base in Nasir, prompting arrests of opposition leaders and allies of Vice President Riek Machar, who is placed under house arrest; Ugandan troops deploy to Juba to protect President Salva Kiir.
February 01, 2025 - February: Fighting escalates, leading to increased civilian deaths, abductions, and displacements; additional UN peacekeepers are deployed to hotspots.
January 01, 2025 - January: Clashes between the South Sudan People's Defense Forces (SSPDF) and Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLA/IO) erupt in Upper Nile state, intensifying by February with SSPDF airstrikes.
December 31, 2024 - Throughout the year: Intercommunal violence escalates, prompting additional UN peacekeeper deployments; heavy rains and floods from May devastate villages and farmland, affecting over 3 million and worsening hunger; elections postponed to 2026.
December 16, 2024 - Legislator Deng Goc, representing Renk County in Upper Nile, dies in Nairobi at age 58 from illness.
December 09, 2024 - The South Sudan Human Rights Defenders Network awards nine activists in Juba for their work amid repression.
November 01, 2024 - November: A deadly battle erupts in Juba after gunfire at the home of sacked former spy chief Gen. Akol Koor Kuc, killing two soldiers and two civilians in a 50-minute clash over a "misunderstanding" among troops.
September 01, 2024 - September: The Transitional Constitution is amended to extend the transitional period by two years, postponing elections to December 2026 amid unfulfilled peace deal milestones like force unification and census.
July 26, 2024 - July 26–August 11: South Sudan's men's basketball team makes its Olympic debut at the Paris Games, defeating Puerto Rico 90–79 on July 28 for a historic first victory.
July 01, 2024 - July: Parliament passes legislation preserving broad detention powers for the National Security Service (NSS), despite UN calls for revisions; the NSS continues harassing journalists and shutting down civil society events.
June 11, 2024 - FIFA President Gianni Infantino inaugurates Juba National Stadium, hosting South Sudan's first FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match.
May 01, 2024 - May: The Tumaini Initiative peace talks launch in Kenya to reboot the 2018 Revitalized Agreement, aiming to expand the government and address root causes, but the SPLM-IO withdraws in July over overlaps.
March 31, 2024 - A Boeing 727 cargo plane collides with a small aircraft at Malakal Airport, highlighting aviation safety issues in remote regions.
March 18, 2024 - Schools across the country close for the day due to an extreme heat wave, disrupting education for over 2.1 million children in a nation with one of the highest rates of out-of-school children.
December 31, 2023 - Throughout the year: A dire humanitarian crisis affects 9.4 million people (including 4.9 million children), driven by conflict, floods, and food insecurity; 7.7 million face severe hunger, the worst on record.
December 01, 2023 - December: The UN Security Council extends sanctions, including an arms embargo, through 2024, citing persistent human rights violations and failure to implement the 2018 peace deal.
November 01, 2023 - November: Election-related commissions are reconstituted, though the peace process remains stalled with no progress on unifying forces or constitutional reforms.
September 01, 2023 - September: The National Elections Act is enacted, empowering the president-elect to nominate additional legislature members, but preparations for December 2024 polls stall.
August 01, 2023 - August: South Sudan ratifies the international convention banning cluster munitions, a step toward arms control amid ongoing conflicts.
June 30, 2023 - April–June: Violence continues with 222 incidents affecting 871 civilians, including 395 killed, 281 injured, 166 abducted, and 29 sexual violence cases; aid workers face extreme risks, with 22 killed by August.
April 01, 2023 - April: The outbreak of civil war in neighboring Sudan triggers a massive refugee influx into South Sudan, with over 300,000 people (mostly South Sudanese returnees) fleeing southward by October, overwhelming camps and aid resources.
March 31, 2023 - January–March: UNMISS documents 920 incidents of conflict-related violence, resulting in 405 civilians killed, 235 injured, 266 abducted, and 14 cases of sexual violence; intercommunal clashes in Jonglei and greater Pibor alone kill at least 308 people.
Frequently Asked Questions About South Sudan
100 Questions
South Sudan is in East-Central Africa, bordered by Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Central African Republic.
The capital is Juba.
Around 13 million people as of 2025 estimates.
English is official; Juba Arabic and over 60 indigenous languages (including Dinka, Nuer, and Shilluk) are spoken.
Tropical, with a rainy season (May–October) and a dry season (November–April).
The South Sudanese pound (SSP).
Black, red, green, blue triangle with a gold star, and white stripes.
Juba, Malakal, Wau, Bor, and Bentiu.
On July 9, 2011, from Sudan.
Salva Kiir Mayardit.
Salva Kiir Mayardit (as of 2025).
A presidential republic (currently transitional unity government).
Dinka, Nuer, Shilluk, Bari, Zande, and many smaller groups.
Christianity (majority) and indigenous beliefs, with some Muslims.
Around $12 billion in 2025 estimates.
About $900.
Around 35% – among the lowest in the world.
About 56 years.
Around 6 children per woman.
Around 70%.
Crude oil (over 90% of exports).
Food, fuel, manufactured goods, and machinery.
Oil, gold, timber, iron ore, and fertile land.
Because it only became independent in 2011.
The capital, center of politics, trade, and aid operations.
Strategic city on the White Nile, often contested in conflicts.
A cultural hub in Western Bahr el Ghazal.
Capital of Jonglei State, home to Dinka communities.
Mount Kinyeti (3,187 m).
Sorghum, maize, cassava, fish, and leafy greens.
A flatbread made from sorghum, common in South Sudanese cuisine.
A sorghum porridge eaten with stew.
Sorghum beer, milk, tea, and local brews.
Football, basketball, athletics, and wrestling.
The Bright Stars.
Not yet.
Not yet.
Luol Deng (basketball), Lopez Lomong (runner, U.S. Olympian of South Sudanese origin).
Yes, starting in 2016.
Afropop, gospel, reggae, and traditional folk music.
Emmanuel Jal, Silver X, and Gordon Koang.
Drums, thumb pianos, harps, and horns.
Dinka spear dances, Nuer stick dances, and Bari ceremonial dances.
Animal-skin wraps, beads, and bright fabrics.
They are central in farming, family life, and informal trade, but face inequality.
Around 30%.
Around 40%.
Very high, especially among youth.
Around 70%.
Sorghum, maize, millet, cassava, and groundnuts.
Cattle (a symbol of wealth), goats, and sheep.
Very limited, dependent on international NGOs.
Malaria, TB, HIV/AIDS, cholera, and malnutrition.
Extremely high.
Among the highest in the world.
“South Sudan Oyee!”
“Justice, Liberty, Prosperity.”
The African fish eagle.
The grey crowned crane.
The hibiscus.
Elephants, giraffes, buffalo, antelopes, and lions.
Boma National Park, Southern National Park, and Bandingilo National Park.
One of the world’s largest antelope migrations.
Vast savannah landscapes and wildlife migrations.
Higher than adults, but still low overall.
Around $900 annually.
Very high, among the highest in the world.
Around 20%.
Mostly subsistence farmers and pastoralists.
Diesel generators, some hydropower, and solar.
High in solar and hydro.
Dependence on oil and instability.
Civil conflict, corruption, and power struggles.
A conflict (2013–2018) between government and opposition forces, killing hundreds of thousands.
The Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (2018).
Mediation and peace support.
The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) provides peacekeeping and protection.
Regional mediation in peace talks.
Major humanitarian and development donor.
Invests in oil and infrastructure.
Controls pipelines for South Sudan’s oil exports.
Very high, due to instability and reliance on imports.
Low, except around Juba and Nile towns.
Beadwork, pottery, basket weaving, and leatherwork.
Central to wealth, dowries, and social status.
Independence Day (July 9), cultural dances, and local harvest events.
July 9, marking independence from Sudan in 2011.
Around 10% difference.
Around 4 years.
Lower than rural areas but still high.
Maternal care, malaria control, and malnutrition.
Conflict disruption, lack of schools, and teacher shortages.
Around 6–7 people.
Rapid, with one of the highest growth rates in the world.
Still oil-dependent, but agriculture and services are growing.
Wildlife migrations, Nile river scenery, and cultural diversity (though limited by instability).
Remittances and advocacy abroad.
Increasing, with quotas for women in parliament.
Displacement, food insecurity, and conflict.
As Africa’s newest country, it symbolizes both the hope of self-determination and the challenges of building stability from conflict.