A Poisonous Thorn in Our Hearts

What happened after Africa’s biggest country split in two? When South Sudan ran up its flag in July 2011 two new nations came into being. In South Sudan the joy of independence vanished quickly: the former rebel movement ruling the country turned on itself, leading to one of the most brutal civil wars imaginable. The ‘rump state’, Sudan, has been debilitated by its own devastating conflicts, including in Darfur, and lost a significant part of its territory, and most of its oil wealth, after the divorce from the South. In the years after separation, the two Sudans dealt with crippling economic challenges, struggled with new and old rebellions, and fought each other along their disputed border. Benefiting from unsurpassed access to the politicians, rebels, thinkers and events that are shaping the Sudans, Copnall draws a compelling portrait of two misunderstood countries. This updated edition of A Poisonous Thorn in Our Hearts argues that Sudan and South Sudan remain deeply interdependent, despite their separation. It also diagnoses the political failings that threaten the future of both countries.