On January 9, the people of the southern Sudan will likely vote to secede from the north, marking the beginning of a complicated process that could create additional conflict in this troubled region. Carnegie’s new guide to Sudan offers background and analysis on the latest developments unfolding from the referendum and the many challenges ahead.

 

Sudan’s Referendum—The Birth of a New Nation?
Q&A | Marina Ottaway details the referendum and the challenges that both the north and the south will face after the results become clear. Ottaway says while the referendum is expected to go ahead relatively smoothly, the threat of violence looms large with immediate concern over the sharing of oil revenues, the yet-to-be-demarcated border, and the status of southerners currently living in the north.