The Washington Post and NPR both covered this story this weekend (and Stacy hit it with a joke) but this is a story that will have repercussions for decades and should not be ignored.
The Christian black south have long been oppressed by the Muslim Arab north (Simon Deng can tell you a bit about that). If the separation can be done peacefully it will be a major achievement.
Heather Robinson of Big Peace has a new interview with former slave and foe of Jihad Simon Deng:
Deng, now a human rights activist whose historic 300-mile “Freedom Walk” in the spring of 2006 gained him an audience with former President George W. Bush, discusses his escape from slavery; and efforts he and other South Sudanese Christians made during the 1990’s to raise awareness about the threat of terrorism emanating from Sudan. In a segment to appear tomorrow, Deng will discuss the plight of Christian and animist South Sudanese today; the condition of South Sudanese Christians in Israel; and his high hopes for South Sudanese independence.