South Sudan Negotiated Independence: A Critique of African Union’s Role

The emergence of South Sudan on Jul 9, 2011 as the world's 195th independent State, 54th Member State of the African Union and 209th Federation of International Football Association member marks the final stage of a six year peace agreement ending decades of protracted civil war. According to BBC, between 1983 and the peace agreement signed in January 2005, Sudan's civil war took nearly two million lives and left millions more displaced. It is reputed as Africa's longest-running civil war. The Sudanese civil war took roots from its colonial experience, which led to forceful cohabitation of Arabic (North) and African (South) ethnic groups into a single state.