Leaving South Sudan South Sudan is a new country in East Africa The people of South Sudan have lived through many conflicts and wars South Sudan became independent from the country of Sudan in 2011 after civil wars in the country More than 1 5 million people died in the wars Four million people fled their homes Today South Sudan is living through a civil war that began in 2013 UN Rights of the Child Every child has rights Rights are privileges and freedoms that are protected by law Refugees have the right to special protection and help The United Nations UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is a document that lists the rights that all children should have Think about these rights as you read this book Many South Sudanese children have been forced to live in refugee camps Juba is the capital of South Sudan It is situated on the Nile River 4
Sudan South Sudan’s flag Central African Republic Sudan lies to the north of South Sudan The country is also bordered by Ethiopia the Central African Republic the Democratic Republic of the Congo DRC Uganda and Kenya Ethiopia South Sudan Juba Uganda Kenya Democratic Republic of the Congo South Sudan is a violent place to live People have left their homes to save their lives They escaped to areas of the country that are safer These people are called internally displaced persons IDPs Many have also traveled to neighboring countries They are refugees Refugees are people who flee their homeland because of conflict They are different from immigrants Immigrants choose to leave to seek better opportunities in a different country 5
My Homeland South Sudan South Sudan has grassy savannas or grassy plains and tropical forests The White Nile River flows from the south to the north through the country Swamps rich in wildlife line the river’s banks White Nile River Juba Rich oilfields are located in parts of South Sudan People coming from what is now Egypt began to settle in the area about 1,000 years ago Other groups also arrived from nearby lands settling as farmers and cattle herders Today there are more than 60 different ethnic groups in South Sudan They speak many different languages and may follow traditional African religions Christianity and Islam The largest ethnic group is the Dinka 6
South Sudan was once part of one larger territory called Sudan Over many years Sudan was invaded and ruled by other empires In 1956 Sudan became an independent country The Sudan People’s Liberation Army is the name of the army in South Sudan About South Sudan’s Story in Numbers 11 3 million people live in South Sudan The capital city Juba has a population of 300,000 Even before independence Sudan’s south and north were at war The people of the north ruled the country The south wanted more control Southern rebel and militia groups were at war with the government The First Sudanese Civil War 1955 1972 left half a million people dead In 1983 the Second Sudanese Civil War began It lasted 22 years and killed two million people After that war the south gained more control of its territory In 2011 the people of the south voted to separate from Sudan They formed a new country called South Sudan 7
