South Sudan

South Sudan is a landlocked country located in East-Central Africa, which proclaimed its independence from Sudan after a referendum in 2011. The state borders to the west with the Central African Republic, to the southwest with Congo, to the south with Uganda, to the southeast with Kenya, to the east with Ethiopia and to the north with Sudan. It has a population of 11,5 million and the official language is English, but the most spoken one in the capital is “Juba Arabic”.

South Sudan is a member of the United Nations and the African Union, and the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development. Relations between South Sudan and Sudan have significantly improved following the regime change in Khartoum in 2019. However, there still remain unresolved issues with neighbouring Sudan, especially with regard to the distribution of oil profits. This problem originates from the uneven distribution of oil fields, 80 percent of which now lie in South Sudan, while almost all the oil refining plants and transport infrastructures are located in Sudan. A further issue concerns the disputed Abyei District, an oil-rich border area, which currently enjoys "special administrative status" under the Abyei Conflict Resolution Convention, which is contained in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the two countries.

Although there is a small volume of trade between Italy and South Sudan, the country is one of the main recipients of Italian development cooperation assistance in the region. The Italian Development Cooperation agency has a presence in the country, where it has always been appreciated for its moderate political approach and the promotion of dialogue.