South Sudan

Introduction

South Sudan, or officially the Republic of South Sudan, became an independent country on the 9th of July 2011, after a period of autonomy from Sudan of about 4 years. Its current capital is Juba, which is also its largest city. Before the outbreak of a civil war in 2013, it was planned that the capital city would be moved to the more centrally located Ramciel in the future.

Warning: Many governments continue to advise citizens to avoid all travel the possibility of armed conflicts and inter-ethnic violence and because of widespread violent crime. While a ceasefire has been in place since 2018, the situation is volatile. Land borders with Sudan and Ethiopia remain hazardous. Rural areas may contain landmines. Civilians and aid workers are at risk of shootings, carjackings, ambushes, violent assaults, harassment and robberies. Some embassies are operating skeleton staff and may not be able to provide assistance to travellers..

Brief History

Initially, the country was part of the British and Egyptian condominium of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan and became part of the Republic of Sudan when independence was achieved in 1956. Following the First Sudanese Civil War, the Southern Sudan Autonomous Region was formed in 1972 and lasted until 1983. A second Sudanese civil war soon developed and ended with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005. Later that year southern autonomy was restored when an Autonomous Government of Southern Sudan was formed. South Sudan became an independent state on 9 July 2011 at midnight local time following a referendum held in January 2011 in which nearly 99% of voters opted for separation from the rest of Sudan.

Geography

The Republic of South Sudan covers almost 620,000 square kilometres. It is a landlocked country bordered by Ethiopia to the east, Kenya, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the south, the Central African Republic to the west, and finally to the north its the country with which it formed one until the 9th of July 2011: Sudan. The country is covered by tropical forests, swamps and grassland. Other habitats in the country include high-altitude plateaus and escarpments, and wooded and grassy savannas. The White Nile passes through the country as well, passing by Juba.

South Sudan still has quite a few protected areas and parks, which surprisingly are for the larger part still intact. The Boma-Jonglei Landscape region encompasses Boma National Park, broad pasturelands and floodplains, Bandingilo National Park, and the Sudd, a vast area of swamp and seasonally flooded grasslands that includes the Zeraf Wildlife Reserve. The country hosts the second largest wildlife migration in the world (after the one in the Masai Mara and Serengeti National Park in Kenya and Tanzania) with about 1.3 million antelopes being part o that migration! Boma National Park, as well as the Sudd wetland and Southern National Park provided habitat for large populations of hartebeest, kob, topi, buffalo, elephants, giraffes, and lions. South Sudan's forest reserves also provided habitat for bongo, giant forest hogs, Red River Hogs, forest elephants, chimpanzees, and forest monkeys. Although numbers have been decreasing during the last decades, significant numbers are still here. Other wildlife species include the endemic white-eared kob and Nile Lechwe, as well as Common and Giant Eland, oryx and African Wild Dogs.

Regions

South Sudan is divided three historical regions, again divided into ten states and furthermore subdivided into 86 counties. The regions and states are:

Cities

• Juba - the capital and largest city
• Wau
• Aweil
• Bentiu
• Malakal
• Yei
• Rumbek
• Yambio
• Nimule

Sights and Activities

• Bandinglio National Park
• Boma National Park
• Southern National Park
• Nimule National Park

Events and Festivals

In the past few years, more and more events have been added to South Sudan's calendar. This means that there is often a choice of distractions and celebrations whatever time of the year you choose to visit.

Many of the country's festivals are aimed at promoting its cultural assets, alongside peace and prosperity. Others have the aim of raising much-needed funds for hospitals or other public projects.

If you are planning to holiday in South Sudan during the month of July or August, then you will find plenty of quality attractions and events. Each year on July 9th, the Independence Day festivities come along, being at their biggest within the capital city of Juba, where they also comprise a well-supported marathon race. During the following month of August, the Festival of Fashion and Arts for Peace is well worth looking out for in the capital, as is the oriental extravaganza that is the Japanese Summer Fest.

Weather

Unlike its arid northern neighbour, South Sudan has a more tropical climate with hot and humid conditions year round and very marginal difference in temperatures between the warmest and the coolest months. Typically, June to September sees average highs of around 26-27 °C, with nights around 23-24 °C, while days from October to May are in the 28-31 °C range and lows in the 25-28 °C range. Humidity is mostly in the 80% or higher area, though December to March is somewhat better and also is the driest time of the year. July to September sees most showers and the annual amount of precipitation is around 1,000mm. Note that the above averages are for Juba and that regional variations apply. Also note that the further north you go, the drier and hotter it becomes.

Getting There

Old anti-aircraft gun at sketchy border post

© africraigs

By Plane

Juba Airport (JUB) near the capital is the main gateway to South Sudan, with flights to/from Nairobi, Khartoum, Entebbe, Cairo and Addis Ababa.

By Train

There is one railway line in South Sudan that enters from Sudan in the north and terminates at Wau. Before independence there were services between Wau and Babanosa, which had rail connections to Khartoum. As of 2014, however, there are no scheduled passenger services.

By Car

Overland crossing from Sudan to South Sudan was closed from the latter's secession in 2011; Sudanese leaders have announced plans to re-open the border in 2016.

Red Tape

Visas are issued for US$100 at all border crossings and Juba International Airport. The length of the visas issued seems to vary randomly between 1 and 6 months. An invitation letter may be required depending on which official is at the desk on your day of arrival. The process can take 3 hours. If you do not have a local contact with official connections, it would be safer to get a visa before arriving in the country. Visas are now available from the embassy in London for UK₤50 cash and typically take 5 working days to process. The embassy in Nairobi is also a popular place to get a visa.

Once in South Sudan, foreign visitors must register their presence in the country within 72 hours of arrival. Procedures have changed sometime before February 2019. Visitors must now do this in person.

Money

The Sudanese Pound (SDG) is the official currency of the country.

Language

English and Arabic (Juba Arabic) are the official languages of South Sudan, although Dinka is the most widely spoken language. Jur Modo, Nuer, Chollo/Shilluk, and Zande languages are also spoken there.

Eat

• Da Vinci - This is a restaurant by the Nile River. There is a friendly monkey and lots of lizards zooming through. They also serve crocodile meat.
• Lily's - They serve oriental food and you can even buy a shake. This is just adjacent to their grocery. You can use USD to buy groceries and they will give you SSP as change., black market rate.
• Nimule - Restaurant by the swimming pool

Drink

In the towns of South Sudan such as Rumbek and Juba, Kenyan and Ugandan beers are starting to appear in bars at inflated cross-border prices.

Fresh fruit juices are available throughout Sudan. One of the local juices is "aradeab" (tamarind).

The cloves-flavoured tea (chai) is very good. Outside the capital, you'll pay usually 10 SSP for one cup. Also the ginger-flavoured coffee is to be tried. In Renk, one cup of this is 100SSP. Both are very sweet, so if you don't want sugar or you want it separately, mention this when you order.

Health

See also Travel Health

Proof that you had a yellow fever vaccination is required upon entering South Sudan when you have been in a yellow fever country within 7 days of entering South Sudan. Still, it is recommended you get the yellow fever vaccination anyway. You have to have a cholera stamp (prove of the fact that you don't have that disease) when entering overland.

It's a good thing to get your vaccinations in order before travelling to South Sudan. The general vaccination against Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio (DTP) is recommended. Also both hepatitis A as well as typhoid would be recommended.

If you are staying longer than 3 months or have a particular risk (travelling by bike, handling of animals, visits to caves) you might consider a rabies vaccination. Vaccination against Tuberculosis as well as hepatitis B are also sometimes recommended for stays longer than 3 months. When staying longer than 6 months, vaccination against meningitis might be recommended, depending on your contact with other people.

Like most African countries south of the Sahara, Malaria is prevalent in the country. Don't underestimate this tropical disease and take precautions. Buy repellent (preferably with 50% DEET), and sleep under a net. Dengue is present in some parts of the country, mainly around urban areas.

Finally, other possible health issues include diarrhea and other general travellers' diseases like motion sickness. Watch what you eat and drink and in case you get it, drink plenty of fluids (to prevent dehydration) and bring ORS.

Safety

See also Travel Safety

Although the level of violence has subsided since the establishment of the country and the end of the civil war, South Sudan remains dangerous for travel as ceasefire violations and boundary disputes have continued. Guns are freely and readily available to the populace, and it is not uncommon to hear gunshots being fired in broad daylight. Travel near the Sudan or Central African Republic borders is extremely dangerous. Western governments continue to advise against all travel to South Sudan and the adjacent regions in Sudan. Violent crime remains problematic; unexploded ordnance from years of civil war also poses hazards to civilians.

South Sudan has very strict photography laws. For any kind of photography, you are required to obtain a photography permit from the Ministry of Interior.

Be very mindful of what you take pictures of, and do not take photos randomly; foreign tourists have been arrested and physically assaulted by South Sudanese law enforcement for simply taking photographs.

To err on the side of safety, keep the following in mind:

• Never take a photograph of a South Sudanese person without their explicit permission.
• Never take photographs of government buildings, vehicles, military personnel, or law enforcement personnel.
• Never take photographs of airports, bridges, or gas stations.

South Sudan is one of the most unstable, lawless, and corrupt countries in the world. Many scholars regard South Sudan as a kleptocracy.

Do not expect the South Sudanese police to help you or solve your problems in the event you run into any kind of difficulties during your stay; the South Sudanese police are extremely corrupt and are written off as hapless, abusive, and ineffective.

Low salaries are the main reason why there's a high level of corruption among the police force. As a foreigner, you may attract unwanted attention from corrupt officials.

Be aware of your surroundings at all times, and keep your emotions under control; getting into a fight with corrupt, abusive officials or the wrong person in a country far away from home is not something you (or anyone) would want to do.

As tempting as it may be to write about South Sudan, it is illegal to report on the country without permission from the South Sudanese Media Authority.

Keep Connected

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

External Links

• Official Governmental Website