Politics of Southern Sudan

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Southern Sudan has become a semi-autonomous region of Sudan since a peace agreement was signed between the Government of Sudan and the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Army.

After several decades of a civil war that was one of the longest lasting and deadliest wars of the latter 20th century (the First Sudanese Civil War and the Second Sudanese Civil War) between the primarily Muslim and Arab government based in the north, and black Christian and animist people of the south that demanded more regional autonomy, a peace agreement^[1] known as the Naivasha Agreement was signed on January 9, 2005, giving autonomy to the region.

In December 2005, the Government of Southern Sudan was established after the adoption of The Interim Constitution of Southern Sudan^[2] with John Garang, the former rebel leader of Sudan People's Liberation Army, as President of the Government of Southern Sudan and Vice President of Sudan.

On July 2005 Garang died in a helicopter crash in Uganda, and was succeeded in both posts by Salva Kiir Mayardit, with Riek Machar as Vice-President of Southern Sudan.