3 . HORN OF AFRICA      

The subject is most complex and confusing. Going to Wikipedia, which discusses recent history, only makes it more confusing.

Our text went to press before the Southern Sudan referendum on 9-15 Jan 2011 voted 98.83% for independence which is to result in a new country, South Sudan on 9 July2011. Capital city, Juba. Three other regions are yet to have referendums in 2011. The smallest, Abyei, is expected to join South Sudan, the two larger, South Kurdufan (1MM pop) and Blue Nile (1.2MM pop), expected to stay with Sudan. Darfur in the west is also to have a referendum in 2011.
So I looked up South Sudan happenings of the last three months. Note that Wiki statistics differ in different articles. The CIA Factbook is not up to date with recent events. The article on Sudan says the country is 5% Christian whereas the article on Southern Sudan says a quarter to half, mostly Anglican. English is the official language -- that is the language in which government activities take place. Population numbers vary depending on if and from where diaspora numbers are taken, but is probably over 8 million people. Oil revenues fund 98% of the proposed new South Sudan government. Oil interests are funded by Red China (40%), Malaysia (30%), India (25%) and with the Sudanese ( 5%).

SUDAN - before split:

Area. 2,505,813 km2. Largest country in Africa, tenth largest in world, one quarter size of USA. Larger than Greenland, smaller than Argentina. Will drop to 17th in world after split, with African countries of Algeria and Congo being larger.
Capital: Khartoum, 5MM pop.
Population 45MM. Larger than Argentina, smaller than Spain.
40% urban. ?!?
Age 0-14 is 42%. 65 up is 3%. Median 18.5. Life expectancy 55.4 years
Literacy 61%. School expectancy 4 years.
Black 52%, Arab 39%
Sunni 70%, Indigenous 25%, Christian 5%.
SOUTH SUDAN -- the ancient and biblical kingdom of Kush.
Area - 619,745 km 239,285 sq mi between Ukraine and France. One quarter of old Sudan.
Population 8 million, plus or minus. similar to Honduras or Austria. 18% of old Sudan.
Language: official English; Composed of more than 200 ethnic groups, Dinka is spoken by 2 to 3 million people.
Economy: 85% of old Sudanese oil output. Pipeline goes through Sudan, so share revenues.

Some appalling statistics, among the worst in the world.

"More than 90% of the population of South Sudan live on less than $1 a day, despite the GDP per capita of the entirety of Sudan being $1200.

[ Yet the land looks good grasslands and is rich in minerals. Whereas the north has the very dry Nubian Desert. "An expanding desert is a serious problem. Nearer the River Nile, there are well-irrigated farms growing cash crops." ]

"The under-five infant mortality rate is 112 per 1,000, whilst maternal mortality is the highest in the world at 2,053.9 per 100,000 live births. [ death rate is high, but birth rate is higher.]
In 2004, there were only three surgeons serving southern Sudan, with three proper hospitals, and in some areas there was just one doctor for every 500,000 people.
"The epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in the Southern Sudan is poorly documented but the prevalence is thought to be around 3.1%."

Humanitarian services are administered by NGOs.
Breaking News.

Monday, 14 March 2011. Southern Sudan accuses north of planning genocide.
"Southern Sudan has broken off talks with the north after accusing Khartoum of arming and directing militia attacks that have killed hundreds of people in the south in recent weeks.
"The leadership of what will become the world's newest country in July has accused Omar al-Bashir's government of deploying Darfur-style tactics and planning a genocide to reclaim power in southern Sudan.
"A serious escalation of violence across the south has seen hundreds of people killed in large-scale attacks by rebel militias and skirmishes across the future north-south border. . . ."

The official Government of South Sudan website is - http://www.goss.org/
And the similar Christian version - http://www.gossmission.org/ , an NGO.
More Breaking News.

AP Thur March 17, 2011. [today, as I write this]  Norway paid for a first printing press in Southern Sudan, 'The Citizen,' a daily Southern Sudanese newspaper. As the editor was giving a tour of the new press to his sponcers and as he was criticizing the government's repressive media politics, two dozen plainclothes agents armed with AK-47s arrived and told the diplomats to leave, took the newsman in custody, drive him around for two hours before releasing him.   Great story or does this sound too pat?

KHARTOUM (Reuters) Thur March 17, 2011. - South Sudan's army said it fought heavy battles with militia in the oil-producing Unity state on Thursday, the latest clashes in an upsurge of violence in the region soon to become the world's newest nation.

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