First Sudanese Civil War in the context of "South Sudan"

The Southern Sudan Autonomous Region was an autonomous region that existed in southern Sudan between 1972 and 1983. It was established on 28 February 1972 by the Addis Ababa Agreement which ended the First Sudanese Civil War. The region was abolished on 5 June 1983 by the administration of Sudanese President Gaafar Nimeiry. Revocation of southern autonomy was one of the causes of the Second Sudanese Civil War which would continue until January 2005, when southern autonomy was restored; the region became the independent Republic of South Sudan in 2011.

The Second Sudanese Civil War was a conflict from 1983 to 2005 between the central Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Army. It was largely a continuation of the First Sudanese Civil War of 1955 to 1972. Although it originated in southern Sudan, the civil war spread to the Nuba Mountains and the Blue Nile. It lasted for almost 22 years and is one of the longest civil wars on record. The war resulted in the independence of South Sudan 6 years after the war ended.

Roughly two million people died as a result of war, famine and disease caused by the conflict. Four million people in southern Sudan were displaced at least once, normally repeatedly during the war. The civilian death toll is one of the highest of any war since World War II and was marked by numerous human rights violations, including slavery and mass killings.

Salva Kiir Mayardit (born 13 September 1951), commonly known as Salva Kiir, is a South Sudanese politician who has served as the President of South Sudan since its independence on 9 July 2011. Prior to independence, he was the President of the Government of Southern Sudan, as well as First Vice President of Sudan, from 2005 to 2011. He was named Commander-in-Chief of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) in 2005, following the death of John Garang.

Kiir was born to the Dinka ethnic group and joined Anyanya rebels fighting for Southern independence during the First Sudanese Civil War in 1967. Following the outbreak of the Second Sudanese Civil War in 1983, Kiir joined the new Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) rebel group led by John Garang as a member of its armed wing, the Sudanese People's Liberation Army (SPLA), eventually becoming the head of the SPLA. Following the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the South gained autonomy under the leadership of Garang in July 2005. Following Garang's death at the end of the month, Kiir became the new President of the Southern Autonomous region, as well as First Vice President of the central government. Kiir won re-election as President following the 2010 South Sudanese general election. The following year, South Sudan gained independence after the 2011 South Sudanese independence referendum with Kiir as its inaugural President.

The First Sudanese Sovereignty Council (26 December 1955–17 November 1958), or Supreme Commission or Commission of Sovereignty, was established in the context of Sudan's struggle for independence and the subsequent transition to self-rule. Sudan, formerly under joint British-Egyptian rule, gained independence on 1 January 1956. The council was formed on 26 December 1955 to oversee the governance of the Republic of Sudan during this transitional period. The members of the council included Abd al-Fattah Muhammad al-Maghribi, al-Dardiri Muhammad Uthman (National Umma Party), Ahmad Muhammad Yasin (National Unionist Party), Ahmad Muhammad Salih (NUP), and Siricio Iro Wani (Southern Liberal Party). The prime minister was Ismail al-Azhari until 5 July 1956 followed by Abdallah Khalil until the 17 November 1958 Sudanese coup d'état.

During its tenure, the council faced several challenges, including the First Sudanese Civil War, which lasted from 1955 to 1972. The conflict erupted shortly before Sudan's independence and continued throughout the council's existence. The civil war was fought primarily between the Sudanese government and southern rebels seeking greater autonomy and resource control. It was resolved through the Addis Ababa Agreement in 1972, which established the Southern Sudan Autonomous Region.

The Anyanya (also spelled Anya-Nya) were a southern Sudanese separatist rebel army formed during the First Sudanese Civil War (1955–1972). A separate movement that rose during the Second Sudanese Civil War were, in turn, called Anyanya II. Anyanya means "snake venom" in the Ma'di language.

The Addis Ababa Agreement, also known as the Addis Ababa Accord, was a set of compromises within a 1972 treaty that ended the First Sudanese Civil War (1955–1972) fighting in Sudan. The Addis Ababa accords were incorporated in the Constitution of Sudan.