Juba Conference
Encyclopedia
The Juba Conference was a June 1947 meeting attended by British
and Sudan
ese delegates in the city of Juba, then regional capital of Equatoria Province in South Sudan
(and today the national capital of South Sudan).
Great Britain organized the conference in order to combine northern and southern Sudan into one political entity. Up until this time, the two sectors were essentially treated by the British as two separate colonies; this being due to ethnic, religious and cultural differences. Northern Sudan was heavily Arabized
and had a fairly well-structured political and economic infrastructure. Northerners practiced Islam
and were relatively well-educated. Southern Sudan was mainly composed of various Nilotic
tribes who practiced a mixture of Christian
and animist beliefs. Economically, it did not possess the organization of northern Sudan.
The Juba Conference did agree to two matters at the time; that northern and southern Sudan constitute one state, and that a Legislative Assembly represent the entire colony. However, southern Sudanese representatives had several reservations about the resolutions, largely because they were in an inferior position in regards to their region's lack of educational and political experience.
Their apprehension was realized when 800 administrative posts were vacated by the British in preparation for Sudanese "self-rule", because only four of the government posts went to Southerners. In discussions to determine the future of the modern state of Sudan, the southern provinces were largely excluded from the political process.
This disparity lead to the First
and Second Sudanese Civil War
s, eventually resulting, in 2011, in the Southern provinces becoming an independent state, the Republic of South Sudan
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
ese delegates in the city of Juba, then regional capital of Equatoria Province in South Sudan
South Sudan
South Sudan , officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country located in the Sahel region of northeastern Africa. It is also part of the North Africa UN sub-region. Its current capital is Juba, which is also its largest city; the capital city is planned to be moved to the more...
(and today the national capital of South Sudan).
Great Britain organized the conference in order to combine northern and southern Sudan into one political entity. Up until this time, the two sectors were essentially treated by the British as two separate colonies; this being due to ethnic, religious and cultural differences. Northern Sudan was heavily Arabized
Arabization
Arabization or Arabisation describes a growing cultural influence on a non-Arab area that gradually changes into one that speaks Arabic and/or incorporates Arab culture...
and had a fairly well-structured political and economic infrastructure. Northerners practiced Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
and were relatively well-educated. Southern Sudan was mainly composed of various Nilotic
Nilotic
Nilotic people or Nilotes, in its contemporary usage, refers to some ethnic groups mainly in South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, and northern Tanzania, who speak Nilotic languages, a large sub-group of the Nilo-Saharan languages...
tribes who practiced a mixture of Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
and animist beliefs. Economically, it did not possess the organization of northern Sudan.
The Juba Conference did agree to two matters at the time; that northern and southern Sudan constitute one state, and that a Legislative Assembly represent the entire colony. However, southern Sudanese representatives had several reservations about the resolutions, largely because they were in an inferior position in regards to their region's lack of educational and political experience.
Their apprehension was realized when 800 administrative posts were vacated by the British in preparation for Sudanese "self-rule", because only four of the government posts went to Southerners. In discussions to determine the future of the modern state of Sudan, the southern provinces were largely excluded from the political process.
This disparity lead to the First
First Sudanese Civil War
The First Sudanese Civil War was a conflict from 1955 to 1972 between the northern part of Sudan and the southern Sudan region that demanded representation and more regional autonomy...
and Second Sudanese Civil War
Second Sudanese Civil War
The Second Sudanese Civil War started in 1983, although 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 Blue Nile by the end of the 1980s....
s, eventually resulting, in 2011, in the Southern provinces becoming an independent state, the Republic of South Sudan
South Sudan
South Sudan , officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country located in the Sahel region of northeastern Africa. It is also part of the North Africa UN sub-region. Its current capital is Juba, which is also its largest city; the capital city is planned to be moved to the more...
.