South Sudan

The newest country on earth, and all travel is currently advised against

South Sudan became independent in 2011, making it the newest sovereign state in the world, and it has spent much of that time in civil war. The UK Foreign Office and most equivalents advise against all travel, citing armed conflict, intercommunal violence and very limited infrastructure or consular support.

What South Sudan holds, largely unstudied and unvisited, is the Sudd, one of the largest wetlands in the world, formed where the White Nile spreads across a vast floodplain. Aerial surveys have recorded a mammal migration in Boma and Badingilo that may rival or exceed the Serengeti in scale, involving well over a million antelope.

The Mundari cattle camps along the Nile have become known through photography: pastoralists living among enormous Ankole-Watusi cattle in smoke from dung fires, a relationship between people and animals that is close to total. The country has over sixty ethnic groups and one of the most linguistically diverse populations anywhere.

Annual events and festivals

• Independence Day (9 Jul) — marks 2011, the newest independence day in the world.
• Martyrs Day (30 Jul) — honouring those killed in the liberation struggle.
• Christmas and Easter (Dec, Mar-Apr) — public holidays in a majority Christian country.
• Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha (varies) — public holidays for the Muslim minority.
• Dinka and Nuer cattle ceremonies (varies) — central to social and marriage life among pastoralist communities.
• Mundari cattle camp life (year round) — not a festival, but the country most photographed cultural scene.
• Great Nile migration (varies) — a vast antelope migration through Boma and Badingilo.
• Peace Agreement Day (varies) — commemorations of the 2005 and 2018 agreements.
• Traditional wrestling (dry season) — a major intercommunal sport, drawing large crowds.
• Harvest celebrations (Oct-Dec) — sorghum and millet festivals in farming areas.