Eye on the Two Sudans

July 2011 | News Feature

On Saturday, July 9th the Republic of Sudan declared independence. Experts from USIP are monitoring developments in the two Sudans.

Featured

Dowry and Division: Youth and State Building in South Sudan

Special Report by Marc Sommers and Stephanie Schwartz | November 2011

Dowry inflation in South Sudan has stimulated insecurity and crime while intensifying threats against and control over female youth.

At USIP Event, U.S. Calls on Sudan to Halt Violence, Keep Its Promises
News Feature by Thomas Omestad | July 18, 2011
The government of Sudan should halt its military attacks in border regions adjacent to newly independent South Sudan and meet all of its obligations under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), Johnnie Carson, the assistant secretary of state for African affairs, said during a conference at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) on July 14.

Tuesday's Feature (July 12)
Oil and State Building in South Sudan: New Country, Old Industry

Oil and resource-sharing rest at the heart of Sudan’s north-south conflict, and the ongoing post-secession negotiations. In a new Special Report, former USIP Jennings Randolph Senior Fellow Jill Shankleman breaks down the oil-related issues facing South Sudan and makes key recommendations for how the government can best manage the oil sector and use its oil-wealth to benefit the citizens of South Sudan. | Read the Special Report.

Monday's Feature (July 11)
South Sudan's Independence

Jok Madut Jok, a USIP Jennings Randolph senior fellow, who is currently serving as an undersecretary in the Ministry of Culture and Heritage in South Sudan was in Juba for the independence celebrations. | Read his take on what Saturday’s secession means for the future of the two Sudans.

Friday's Feature (July 8)
The North South Border Initiative and Resource Library

The recent violence in Abyei and Southern Kordofan emphasize the potential instability in the border areas between north and south Sudan. What will soon become Africa's newest international border, if not managed well, has the capacity to increase insecurity, threaten development and spark conflict at the national and even international level. USIP’s Grants Program launched the North South Border Initiative to focus on promoting a border that contributes to, instead of hinders, security, development, and the strengthening of inter-group relationships in the border areas. | Explore the full text peace agreements, maps and other resources in the North South Border Initiative Digital Resource Library

Thursday's Feature (July 7)

Just Days from Independence, South Sudan Approves Transitional Constitution
While South Sudan will officially become a state on Saturday, there are many aspects to building that nation which need to be resolved. Key to that process is creating a new constitution. USIP’s Senior Rule of Law Advisor Jason Gluck has been advising officials and civil society leaders in South Sudan on how to navigate this critical process. | Read about USIP’s constitution-making work in South Sudan

Wednesday's Feature (July 6)

The New Republic of Sudan
While the international community is focused on how the new Republic of South Sudan will fare after they declare independence on July 9th, few are paying attention to other new Sudan – the one in the north. What will southern secession mean for the new Republic of Sudan? The recent eruption of violence in South Kordofan state is an ominous indicator of how the government in Khartoum will address governance, power and wealth sharing issues, and the tensions in Darfur and the East remain ongoing.

USIP Sudan Programs Director Jon Temin and Theo Murphy examine the prospects for improved governance in the New Republic of Sudan in the June 2011 Special Report “Toward a New Republic of Sudan.” | Read the Special Report

Analysis

South Sudan Independence
July 2011 | On the Issues by Jon Temin
USIP’s Jon Temin provides a preview of South Sudan’s upcoming independence on July 9.
Peace in Sudan
June 2011 | On the Issues by Andrew Blum and Jon Temin
USIP’s Andrew Blum and Jon Temin discuss the recent troubling developments in Sudan and why there are renewed concerns about prospects for peace in Sudan.
Sudan at Risk
May 2011 | On the Issues by Jackie Wilson and Jon Temin
USIP’s Jon Temin and Jacki Wilson discuss the recent hostilities in Abyei, Sudan – and why it threatens the stability of the soon-to-be Republic of South Sudan and the overall region.

USIP in Sudan

North-South Border Initiative
USIP Initiative (ongoing)
Building South Sudan's First Peace Library
May 2011 | Grant Highlight by Andrew Blum
Working against Violence in Sudan | April 2011
In the past year, Sudan has successfully passed two milestones established by its Comprehensive Peace Agreement: national elections in April 2010 and a referendum this January on independence for the country’s south.
USIP Conducts Second Referendum Violence Prevention Workshop in Rumbek | January 2011
USIP Academy provides a training workshop on Referendum Violence Prevention (RVP) southern Sudan.

Publications

Toward a New Republic of Sudan
June 2011 | Special Report by Jon Temin and Theodore Murphy
Independent Souther Sudan and How the Two Sudans Become Stable Nations
January 2011 | News Features by Jok Madut Jok
Local Justice in Southern Sudan
September 2010 | Peaceworks by Cherry Leonardi, Leben Nelson Moro, Martina Santschi, Deborah H. Isser