Obama warns South Sudan against Coup as US Plane comes under Fire

Juan Cole 12/22/2013

Obama warns S. Sudan against military coup (via AFP)

President Barack Obama warned South Sudan on Saturday that Washington and its allies would cut aid to the country over any attempted military coup, amid growing fears of civil war. And top US diplomat John Kerry called South Sudanese President Salva…

South Sudan (pop. 9 million) became independent of Sudan in 2011 after thirty years of fighting with soldiers from the largely Muslim and often Arabic-Speaking north. As is often the case, however, secession did not solve many of the problems of the region. The government remains in tense relations with 7 armed groups in the country.

About the Author

Juan Cole is the founder and chief editor of Informed Comment. He is Richard P. Mitchell Professor of History at the University of Michigan He is author of, among many other books, Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires and The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Follow him on Twitter at @jricole or the Informed Comment Facebook Page