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The current situation in Sudan and South Sudan, the latter newly independent since July 9, 2011, is bleak. Ongoing armed conflicts between the government of South Sudan and numerous armed groups have resulted in thousands of people being displaced. Tribal clashes and interethnic warfare have also contributed to this new country’s instability. In addition, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), which is led by Joseph Kony and is comprised largely of child soldiers, continues to terrorize much of South Sudan. Indeed, the state of Sudan, which formerly included South Sudan, has been undergoing conflict for much of its history since independence in 1956. The first Sudanese civil war raged from 1955 to 1972 and the second Sudanese civil war from 1983 to 2005. Together, these conflicts resulted in an estimated 2.5 million people being killed and some five million people becoming internally and externally displaced.

Visit the Sudan/South Sudan Symposium for more information: www.yorku.ca/soss