A nation is born
For most of the last 55 years of Sudan’s independence from the Anglo-Egyptian what was known as Condominium, Africa’s largest nation has had little history of enduring peace.
The country’s turbulent history has been marked by political divisions and bloody conflict, leading to the loss of millions of lives and untold numbers of people wounded, among them child soldiers. Millions of others were forced to flee their homes during renewed clashes that continue today.
After a series of negotiations and short-lived accords that culminated in the historic Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005, Southern Sudanese voted overwhelmingly to secede from the north in January. The referendum, a provision of the peace deal, sealed South Sudan\'s independence, which takes effect today.
Akim Mugisa captured these images of daily life in Juba as South Sudan\'s independence approached:
