Horse 1137 - Southern Sudan - Puönmït

Amidst the news of flooding in Queensland and the shooting of a US Congresslady, there is a spark of hope in the news this week. The people of Southern Sudan have gone to the polls to vote on their independence, and although there have been a few minor scuffles in provinces which border the North, it has been relatively peaceful.

Sudan is Africa's largest country by area, and is administered both from Khartoum in the north and Juba in the south, following two civil wars and other conflicts.

The people of Southern Sudan have gone to the polls for a referendum on their independence and runs from 9th to 15th January 2011. The province of Abyei will hold a separate referendum as will South Kurdufan and Blue Nile which will hold a "popular plebecite".

The BBC World Service has reported that in Southern Sudan a carnival atmosphere has broken out around some polling places, and when they interview people from the country, they seem not to talk of their "independence" but rather of their "freedom" from the North.

Northern Sudan for want of a better word is a nominally Arabic speaking and Muslim country and the South would become a nominally Christian and Animistic country which speaks English a pidgin form of Arabic known as Juba Arabic and several African languages including Dinka.

This of course presents several challenges for not just the fledgling nation should it acheive independence, but poses serious questions for the other nations in Africa. Some commentators are talking about the "Balkanisation" of Africa, with implications for Nigeria and the Congo. Indeed it asks the most fundamental questions as to what does and/or possibly should constitute nationhood.

If Southern Sudan does acheive its independence, then almost certainly it would change its name to reflect the new nation. One of the names which was suggested is Puönmït. Puönmït is a Dinka word which means "Happiness". Surely that would be one of the greatest names for a country that has ever been put forward. I personally do hope the greatest amount of puönmït for Southern Sudan (or Puönmït).