The Two Sudans
Latest from USIP on The Two Sudans
- February 14, 2013 | Publication
South Sudan may be the world’s newest country, but its five-decade struggle for freedom, peace, and independence from Sudan won wide international support and led to formal statehood on July 9, 2011. Though long-term hopes for a successful democracy remain high and the young government in Juba enjoys significant U.S. and international support, South Sudan’s initial period as a nation-state has included some troubling signs of heavy-handed, undemocratic actions.
- February 12, 2013 | Publication
USIP’s continuing series on “sleeper risks” examines how Sudan’s economic crisis may be the single most important factor in the country’s overall trajectory this year, and could very well tear the country apart.
- January 11, 2013 | Publication
Although gender concerns do not figure explicitly in the Sudan and South Sudan's September 2012 framework agreements, implementation offers both countries an important opportunity to develop an inclusive process whereby women actively participate and voice their own priorities and concerns.
- December 28, 2012 | Publication
From the idea of an interfaith center in Baghdad to prospective programs encouraging Burmese media to contribute to peace, USIP experts discuss conflict resolution and peacebuilding efforts in 2012 and plans for this new year in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Burma, the two Sudans and more.
Overview
On July 9th, 2011 the Republic of South Sudan declared independence, resulting in the most significant redrawing of the map of Africa since decolonization. Both new Sudans face a series of internal and external challenges to peace. The two nations’ trajectories are inherently intertwined given their collective history, current political and economic situations, and the set of outstanding issues related to secession that are still being negotiated, from citizenship to border demarcation to oil revenue sharing. Critical to the future of both countries is how each government accommodates marginalized populations, including in Darfur, eastern Sudan and the Nuba Mountains in the north, and the array of ethnic groups in the south.
While southern secession marks a new era in the Sudanese conflict, many issues remain unresolved and decisions made by both states could lay a foundation for sustainable peace or reignite violence and propel either country, or the region, back to war. The U.S. Institute of Peace is engaging on many of these key issues in an effort to help build a more peaceful, stable and secure Sudan and South Sudan.
Learn more about the current situation >>
Our Work
Since 2005, USIP experts have focused on helping to build peace and stability in Sudan, working through partnerships with the U.S. Department of State, nongovernmental organizations in Sudan, and key stakeholders. Learn about our mission >>
USIP’s current projects focus on:
- Statebuilding and Capacity Development in South Sudan
- Constitution Making and Rule of Law in the Two Sudans
- Engagement in Darfur
- Grantmaking in Sudan and South Sudan
- Past Work: Supporting a Peaceful Transition to an Independendent South Sudan
Featured Analysis
- Year in Review: Conflict Continues in the Two Sudans
December 2012 | News Feature - Traditional Authorities' Peacemaking Role in Darfur
November 2012 | Peaceworks report - Amputation is No Cure for Cancer
October 2012 | Article by Jon Temin - Sudan, South Sudan Strike Oil Deal
September 2012 | On the Issues
Browse all Sudan and South Sudan publications and reports >>
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