2011 South Sudanese independence referendum

A January 2011 vote in which southern Sudanese overwhelmingly chose independence from Sudan. It fulfilled a peace-agreement provision and preceded South Sudan’s establishment on 9 July 2011.

Comprehensive Peace Agreement: A 2005 agreement that ended Sudan’s second civil war and set out a path toward a referendum on southern independence. Its referendum provision created the legal and political basis for the 2011 vote.
Southern Sudan Referendum Commission: The body established to organize and oversee the 2011 referendum on southern Sudan’s status. It registered voters, conducted polling, and announced the official result.
South Sudan: A landlocked country in East-Central Africa that became independent on 9 July 2011. The referendum’s overwhelming independence vote led directly to the creation of this state.
Abyei status referendum: A planned vote on whether the disputed Abyei Area would join Sudan or South Sudan, which was not held in 2011. Unlike the southern independence referendum, the promised Abyei vote remained unimplemented.
Second Sudanese Civil War: A 1983–2005 conflict between Sudan’s central government and southern rebel forces, ending with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. The war’s settlement made a referendum the route to resolve the north–south dispute.
International Organization for Migration: A United Nations-related intergovernmental organization that assists people on the move and supports migration management. It helped register eligible voters living outside southern Sudan.
Sudan: A country in northeastern Africa that remained after South Sudan became independent in 2011. The vote divided Sudan and left major political and economic disputes between the two states.
Darfur conflict: An armed conflict in western Sudan that began in 2003, involving Sudanese government forces, allied militias, and rebel groups. It shows that Sudan’s conflicts continued beyond the north–south settlement and independence vote.
First Sudanese Civil War: A 1955–1972 conflict between Sudan’s central government and southern rebels over autonomy and political power. Its unresolved grievances helped set the stage for renewed war and the later independence vote.
African Union High-Level Implementation Panel: An African Union body led by Thabo Mbeki to support implementation of Sudan’s peace agreements and resolve outstanding disputes. Its mediation helped manage the referendum’s aftermath and outstanding north–south questions.

Linked from 7 pages