The Southern Sudan Autonomous Region was an

autonomous region An autonomous administrative division (also referred to as an autonomous area, zone, entity, unit, region, subdivision, province, or territory) is a subnational administrative division or territory, internal territory of a sovereign state that has ...

that existed in southern

Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...

between 1972 and 1983. It was established on 28 February 1972 by the Addis Ababa Agreement which ended the

First Sudanese Civil War The First Sudanese Civil War (also known as the Anyanya Rebellion or Anyanya I, after the name of the rebels, a term in the Madi language which means 'snake venom') was fought from 1955 to 1972 between the northern part of Sudan and the sout ...

. The region was abolished on 5 June 1983 by the administration of Sudanese President

Gaafar Nimeiry Gaafar Muhammad an-Nimeiry (otherwise spelled in English as Gaafar Nimeiry, Jaafar Nimeiry, or Ja'far Muhammad Numayri; ; 1 January 193030 May 2009) was a Sudanese military officer and politician who served as the fourth president of Sudan, hea ...

. Revocation of southern autonomy was one of the causes of the

Second Sudanese Civil War The Second Sudanese Civil War was a conflict from 1983 to 2005 between the central Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement, Sudan People's Liberation Army. It was largely a continuation of the First Sudanese Civil Wa ...

which would continue until January 2005, when southern autonomy was restored; the region became the independent Republic of South Sudan in 2011.

Government and politics

The autonomous region consisted of the three

provinces A province is an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term ''provi ...

Equatoria Equatoria is the southernmost region of South Sudan, along the upper reaches of the White Nile and the border between South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Juba, the national capital is the largest city in South S ...

, Bahr al-Ghazal, and

Greater Upper Nile The Greater Upper Nile () is a region of northeastern South Sudan. It is named for the White Nile (it is its lowest portion in South Sudan), a tributary of the Nile River in North Africa, North and East Africa, East Africa. History The Greater ...

Juba Juba is the capital and largest city of South Sudan. The city is situated on the White Nile and also serves as the capital of the Central Equatoria, Central Equatoria State. It is the most recently declared national capital and had a populatio ...

was the regional capital.

Executive

Southern Sudan was governed by a High Executive Council which was led by a President of the High Executive Council. Abel Alier was the first President, holding that post between 1972 and 1978.

Legislature

Legislative authority was vested in a People's Regional Assembly. ;Speakers

Post-abolition

The Southern Sudan Autonomous Region was abolished in 1983. Between 1987 and 1989 a Council for the South existed in Southern Sudan. Following the signing of the Khartoum Peace Agreement of 1997, a Southern Sudan Coordination Council was established initially led by Riek Machar who was also appointed Assistant to the President of the Republic. This body was abolished in 2005 when the Autonomous Government of Southern Sudan was established.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Southern Sudan Autonomous Region (1972-83) First Sudanese Civil War Political history of South Sudan 1970s in Sudan Government of South Sudan Government of Sudan Second Sudanese Civil War Autonomous regions States and territories established in 1972 States and territories disestablished in 1983 1972 establishments in Africa 1983 disestablishments in Africa

Government and politics

Executive

Legislature

Post-abolition

See also

References