Sudan is the largest country in Africa, at nearly 80% the size of India. It has been embroiled in near endless civil war since it gained independence in 1956 from Britain and Egypt. Aside from Darfur, most of this fighting has been between the Muslim north and Christian/Animist south.
The north is more culturally Arabic/North African, while the south has more in common with Sub-Saharan Africa. The south is also woefully underdeveloped, with only 10 km of paved roads, but it is rich in oil reserves. It sees little to gain from Arab rule in Khartoum. On December 13 both sides agreed to a referendum in the south for independence, scheduled for 2011. If the referendum is allowed to proceed peacefully, all signs point toward secession. It will be an interesting situation to watch. For background, read the Economist's piece here.
The north is more culturally Arabic/North African, while the south has more in common with Sub-Saharan Africa. The south is also woefully underdeveloped, with only 10 km of paved roads, but it is rich in oil reserves. It sees little to gain from Arab rule in Khartoum. On December 13 both sides agreed to a referendum in the south for independence, scheduled for 2011. If the referendum is allowed to proceed peacefully, all signs point toward secession. It will be an interesting situation to watch. For background, read the Economist's piece here.
