South Sudan Referendum Made South Sudan the World’s Newest Nation

South Sudan referendum results were announced on 30 January 2011, according to which South Sudan became the new and the 54th nation in the Continent of Africa. As per South Sudan referendum, which was held in the first week of January 2011, 99.57 percent people voted to secede from the nation’s northern part, North Sudan.  The referendum was held as the part of the peace accord finalised between North Sudan’s President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and his counter part of South Sudan, Salva Kiir in 2005. Salva Kiir, President of South Sudan, was also the head of the former Southern Rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement. According to the terms of the accord, South Sudan will be able to declare independence on 9 July 2011.

The 2005 accord between North Sudan and South Sudan had ended Africa’s longest civil war, which had cost 2 million lives. North Sudan is Muslim dominated while South Sudan has Christians in majority. There was dispute over Oil revenues and Ayebi region between them. Juba is the capital of South Sudan.