Benjamin mkapa (left), former president of tanzania and chair of the un panel & salva kiir, president of the government of southern sudan (goss), in juba. Un photo/paul banks
Southern Sudan will vote on secession on 9th January 2011, paving the way for the creation of the world’s newest state. A “yes” vote would also see the city of Juba become the globe’s youngest capital. The referenda will be in two parts – the South will vote on secession, whilst the central atrea of Abyei will vote on whether to join the North or the South.
The Khartoum government and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) signed a peace agreement in 2005 after two decades of civil war. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement has governed relations between North and South for the past five years leading up to the referenda.
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir met on Friday 15th October with members of a UN panel appointed to oversee the preparations for the referenda. The panel’s chair, Benjamin Mkapa, said: “the hurdles are not insurmountable and I believe the leadership is honourable, willing and very capable of guiding this process to a successful conclusion”.
In This Story: Juba
Juba is the capital and largest city of South Sudan. The city is situated on the White Nile and also serves as the capital of Central Equatoria State.
Juba became the capital of South Sudan in 2011. It is the newest capital city with a population of 525,953 in 2017. It has an area of 52 km (32 mi), with the metropolitan area covering 336 km (209 mi).
Khartoum or Khartum is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan. Khartoum is located at the confluence of the White Nile, flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile, flowing west from Lake Tana in Ethiopia.
The Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, Libya to the northwest, Chad to the west, the Central African Republic to the southwest, South Sudan to the south, Ethiopia to the southeast, Eritrea to the east, and the Red Sea to the northeast.
Sudan’s history goes back to the Pharaonic period. Independence from the British was proclaimed on 1 January 1956.
Islam was Sudan’s state religion and Islamic laws applied from 1983 until 2020 when the country became a secular state. The economy has been described as lower-middle income and relies on oil production. Sudan is a member of the United Nations, the Arab League, African Union, COMESA, Non-Aligned Movement and the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation.
