Africa's largest country separates in to two states - Sudan and South Sudan - on 9 July 2011.
But the people of both countries continue to face some of the continent’s greatest challenges as they rebuild their lives after two long-running civil wars.
A legacy of war
In 1955, the year before Sudan achieved independence from Britain, a group of soldiers, who were frustrated by inequality in the country, staged a mutiny in the south. Their actions triggered a 17-year civil war between northern and southern Sudan.
The Addis Ababa Accords which were signed in 1972 brought a brief respite, but 11 years later war broke out once more.
This second civil war devastated southern Sudan, leaving two million dead and four million displaced.
Thousands of children were recruited as child soldiers and many more were deprived of the chance to go to school because of the ensuing turmoil.
An uneasy peace
A period of relative peace began in 2005 with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
The deal mapped out a six-year process culminating in a referendum in January 2011 when southern Sudan voted overwhelmingly to separate from the north.
But for many this process has not delivered peace and security. Conflict in Darfur – a region the size of France in western Sudan - is still to be resolved more than seven years after it began.
And more than 350,000 were newly displaced in southern Sudan during the 18 months as inter-tribal fighting and rebel attacks intensified.
Urgent action needed
In 2005, governments including the UK agreed to act as guarantors of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement along with the United Nations.
It is critical that they honour that commitment by supporting Sudan and South Sudan in the aftermath of separation.
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