South Kordofan

Southern Kordofan
جنوب كردفان
Janub Kurdufan
—  State  —
Location in Sudan with Abyei area in pink
Coordinates:
Country  Sudan
Region Kordofan
No. of counties:
Capital Kaduqli
Government
 • Governor Ahmed Haroun
Area
 • Total 158,355 km2 (61,141.2 sq mi)
Population (2006 (est.))
 • Total 1,111,859
Time zone EAT (UTC+3)

Southern Kordofan (Arabic: جنوب كردفانĞanūb Kurdufān) is one of the 15 wilayat or provinces of Sudan. It has an area of 158,355 km²[1] and an estimated population of approximately 1,100,000 people (2000).[2] Kaduqli is the capital of the state. It is centered around the Nuba Hills.

As per the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, residents of South Kordofan were to hold ill-defined "popular consultations" in 2011 to determine the constitutional future of the state. However, South Kordofan governor Ahmed Haroun, who himself is charged with various war crimes against civilians and crime against humanity by the International Criminal Court, suspended the process and violence followed.[3]

Contents

History

South Kordofan shares the history of North Kordofan. Although South Kordofan is north of the international border with South Sudan, it is home to many pro-south communities, especially in the Nuba Mountains, some of whom fought alongside southern rebels during the long civil war.[4]

In 2009 and 2010 a series of conflicts between rival nomadic tribes in South Kordofan caused a large number of casualties and displaced thousands.

On June 6, 2011 armed conflict broke out between the forces of Northern and Southern Sudan, ahead of the scheduled independence of the South on July 9. This followed an agreement for both sides to withdraw from Abyei.[5][6]On June 20, the parties agreed to demilitarize the contested area of Abyei where Ethiopian peacekeepers will be deployed.[7]

Districts of Southern Kordofan

  1. Dilling District
  2. Rashad District
  3. Abu Jubaiyah District
  4. Talodi District
  5. Kadugli District
  6. Lagawa District
  7. As Salam District
  8. Abyei District (abolished)

Area with "Special Administrative Status", considered part of both South Kordofan and Northern Bahr el Ghazal, under Protocol on the resolution of the Abyei conflict:

Cities and towns of Southern Kordofan

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Sources disagree on the size of the state. The government of Sudan lists the area as 970,470 km², Statoids as 158,355 and the International Crisis Group as "about 120,000 sq. km"PDF (1.19 MB) (p. 1)
  2. ^ South Kordofan State, Sudan Ministry of the Cabinet Affairs, 22 July 2008
  3. ^ Is Sudan heading for an acrimonious divorce?
  4. ^ Sudan's South Kordofan: 'Huge suffering from bombs'
  5. ^ http://www.sudantribune.com/Sudan-s-NCP-says-no-negotiations,39221
  6. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13773161
  7. ^ North and South Sudan agree to demilitarize Abyei

References

External links