2011 — South Sudan Is Born

On July 9, 2011, celebrations erupted in Juba as Africa's newest nation was born. After decades of brutal civil war, South Sudan broke free from the north, becoming the fifty-fourth independent country on the continent. The new flag rose as Salva Kiir was sworn in as the first president.

Just six months earlier, a staggering 98.83 percent of voters had chosen separation in a referendum. Within days, South Sudan joined the United Nations and the African Union. But the joy was short-lived: civil war returned in 2013, a hard reminder that independence was only the beginning of the long journey ahead.