South Sudan — books & literature

The story of South Sudan

South Sudan's modern borders sit atop a region of ancient Nilotic peoples , the Dinka, Nuer, Shilluk, Bari, Zande, and dozens of other ethnic groups , whose cattle-centred societies predate any national boundary by centuries. The territory was drawn into Ottoman-Egyptian and then British-Egyptian rule during the 19th century as part of "Anglo-Egyptian Sudan", administered separately from the largely Arab, Muslim north. When Sudan gained independence in 1956, the south was folded into one state with the north despite deep religious, linguistic, and cultural differences, sparking resentment almost immediately. Two brutal civil wars followed , 1955-1972 and 1983-2005 , pitting the southern Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army against the Khartoum government, killing an estimated 1.5 million people and displacing millions more. The 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement ended the second war and promised a referendum; in January 2011, southerners voted overwhelmingly (98.83%) for secession. On 9 July 2011, South Sudan became the world's newest sovereign state. Independence did not bring peace , a devastating internal civil war broke out in 2013 , but the country's cultures, cattle economies, and oral traditions remain a living thread back to its Nilotic roots.

Timeline — key moments

1. circa 1500s

   Nilotic peoples including the Dinka, Nuer, and Shilluk establish cattle-based societies across the Nile basin.

2. 1899

   Anglo-Egyptian Sudan condominium established; the south is administered separately from the north.

3. 1956

   Sudan gains independence from Britain and Egypt; north and south are joined as one state.

4. 1955-1972

   First Sudanese Civil War, driven by southern demands for autonomy.

5. 1983-2005

   Second Sudanese Civil War after Khartoum imposes Islamic law; roughly 1.5 million die.

6. 2005

   Comprehensive Peace Agreement ends the war and grants the south autonomy plus a future referendum.

7. 2011

   January referendum: 98.83% of southern Sudanese vote for independence.

8. 2011

   South Sudan declares independence on 9 July, becoming the world's newest country.

9. 2013-2018

   Internal civil war between government and opposition forces causes mass displacement.

10. 2020

    A unity government is formed as part of the ongoing peace process.

Top 10 things to know about South Sudan

1. South Sudan is the world's newest widely recognised sovereign state, founded in 2011.
2. Its capital and largest city is Juba, on the White Nile.
3. The country is landlocked, bordered by Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, DR Congo, and the Central African Republic.
4. Independence followed two of Africa's longest civil wars, spanning much of 1955-2005.
5. The Sudd, fed by the White Nile, is one of the largest freshwater wetlands on Earth.
6. Over 60 indigenous languages are spoken; English and Juba Arabic serve as lingua francas.
7. The Dinka and Nuer are the two largest ethnic groups, both with deep cattle-keeping traditions.
8. The Sudd's wetlands support one of the largest mammal migrations on Earth, including white-eared kob.
9. South Sudan's flag echoes the colours of the SPLM/A that led the independence struggle.
10. The economy relies heavily on oil, most of which is exported through pipelines via Sudan.

Famous people from South Sudan

Say it in South Sudan's language

Did you know?

• ★South Sudan is the world's youngest widely recognised country, born on 9 July 2011.
• ★The Sudd wetland can swell to over 130,000 square kilometres in the wet season , around a fifth of the country's land.
• ★More than 60 indigenous languages are spoken across South Sudan's many ethnic communities.

South Sudan culture

• Cattle are central to Dinka and Nuer life , social status, dowries, and even personal names are tied to cattle herds.
• Marriage among many Nilotic groups is sealed through a dowry exchange of cattle between families.
• Oral storytelling, praise songs, and cattle-camp traditions carry history and identity across generations.
• English and Juba Arabic act as common languages that bridge dozens of distinct ethnic tongues.

Why read South Sudan's books

South Sudan's story has largely been told through survivor memoirs and oral tradition rather than a long-established publishing industry , voices like the "Lost Boys" who lived through war and exile. The shelves here are a starting point for a literature still being written.