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South Sudan

Capital | Juba

Independence | 9 July 2011

Official Languages | English

~12.7 million
Population

644,329 km²
Total area

USD 6 billion
GDP

USD 488
GDP per Capita

South Sudanese Pound (SSP)
Currency

Christianity
Main Religion

Membership to Regional Organisations

IGAD, EAC, AU, COMESA

Regional Significance

South Sudan holds major regional significance in the Horn of Africa due to its strategic position linking the Horn of Africa, East Africa, and Central Africa. Its oil resources are central to national revenue and also shape regional energy and infrastructure interests. Persistent insecurity in the country continues to generate refugee flows and broader security pressures across neighbouring states.

 Key Challenges

  • Chronic conflict between ethnic militias and political factions despite 2018 peace deal
  • Catastrophic humanitarian crisis — over half the population in acute food insecurity
  • Oil export pipeline runs through Sudan, now at war — severe economic consequences
  • Delayed elections and incomplete R-ARCSS peace agreement implementation
  • Near-complete governance vacuum outside of Juba
  • Annual catastrophic flooding driven by climate change

 Interesting Facts

South Sudan’s oil must be exported via Sudan’s pipeline to Port Sudan — making it economically hostage to a country currently at war.