Historical Context The battle for South Sudan's independence dates back to the era of British imperialism. Struggling to remain and gain its independence since the late 1800s, Sudan finally became fully independent in 1956, freeing itself from combined Egyptian-British rule. A poorly put together constitution began the long history of violence that continues to define Sudan and South Sudan today. The constitution ignored several essential issues that divided the country. The first issue is the state religion; whether Sudan will become an Islamic state or whether it will remain secular. Since the northern part of Sudan is mostly Muslim and the south is mostly Christian and animist, this division quickly exploded into the first of 2 major civil wars. Between 1955 and 1972, southern fighters, called Anya Nya, clashed with the predominantly Arab-led government over the south's autonomy. Gaining control over much of Southern Sudan in 1960 and joining forces with the Southern Sudan Liberation Movement in 1971, the government of Sudan and the SSLM signed the Addis Ababa Agreement, giving Southern Sudan greater autonomy. The agreement also provided that the Abyei region, which lies on the border between the north and the south, could vote on which region it would be part of. The second civil war began in 1983 when the government of Sudan established Shari'ah in the Abyei region and withdrew the part of the Addis Ababa Agreement that allowed the Abyei region to vote on its status in relation to being considered to be in southern or northern Sudan. This fighting lasted until 1989, when a peace agreement was reached between the Sudanese government and the SSLM. The fighting resumed, however, when the Sudanese g......middle of paper......tried to change their image globally, caring only about the money they had invested in developing countries and not caring about who is at stake. burdened by those countries, or the human rights violations that result from them. Second, China has major interests in Sudanese oil. Having begun a relationship with Sudanese oil production in the mid-1990s, China has continued to make increasing investments in Sudanese oil ever since. Importing up to 80% of South Sudan's oil exports each year, China has money to lose as the fighting continues, and even more money to gain if South Sudan regains its stability. China's tight grip on the Sudanese oil market could make it difficult for the United States to benefit from increased investment in South Sudan, and the United States could even inadvertently aid China's financial gains from South Sudan.