ABSTRACT
This chapter delves into the reasons for the proliferation of rebellions in South Sudan. It discusses the origins of autocracy in the former Sudan and their links to rebellions and the manipulation of identity, especially ethnic and religious, as a means to win or retain power and in the context of armed confrontation. The chapter analyses the rise of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), the autocratic leadership of John Garang and the rebellions he had to confront, and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). The chapter also discusses first rebellion, Anyanya rebellion, the different leadership styles of key rebel leaders and the Addis Ababa Peace Agreement of 1972, which ushered in a democratic and accountable governance system, probably because that system was not dominated by former rebel leaders. Having abrogated the Addis Ababa Agreement, Jaafar Nimeiri was forced out of office by a massive civilian demonstration while he was away visiting his strongest supporter, the US, in 1985.
