Secession Is Just the First Step: Southern Sudan’s Road to Development

Staff Author / January 18, 2011

The referendum for southern Sudan’s independence, which began on January 9, reached the necessary 60% participation a few days ago. Official results will not be released for a couple of weeks, but an overwhelming “yes” vote is a safe assumption.

The referendum is a momentous step; as the capstone to the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement ending the two-decade civil war, it will create the world’s newest country. While southern Sudanese are celebrating their almost certain independence, the challenges ahead are daunting.

Southern Sudan will be one of the most poorly developed countries in the world. Ninety percent of the population lives on less than a dollar a day, the standard global poverty line. Thirty-three percent suffer from chronic hunger, and a measly 6 percent have access to “improved sanitation.” The adult literacy rate is only 15 percent, which is no wonder: The country has only one teacher per 1,000 primary-school students. One in six pregnancies end in maternal mortality, and the under-five mortality rate is 135 per 1,000 births. (more…)