ChronoFive
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Setting the scene
South Sudan became independent July 9, 2011, after a referendum in which 98.8% voted to secede from Sudan. The independence ended Africa's longest civil war (1983-2005), which killed 2 million people. The new nation, the world's youngest, was born with oil wealth but little infrastructure.
What happened
Independence was brokered by the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Celebrations in Juba were attended by world leaders. However, South Sudan descended into civil war in 2013 between President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar, killing 400,000.
Why it still matters
South Sudan's independence demonstrated both the promise and peril of self-determination. July 9, 2011, marked the end of one war and the beginning of another tragic chapter.
Background
Internal conflict soon returned.