Juba the biggest city in the south is now surrounded by the SPLA. Khartoum has brought in 60,000 troops but is having a hard time supplying them by air and one small road. The SPLA hopes to liberate the town in the near future.

At the same time some other leaders of splinter rebel movements have cut their own deals with the Khartoum government and signed a treaty with them. Former leaders have gone over to the Islamic side because of generous offers and comforts that they would receive. Even the former NBA Basketball Star, Manute Bol went to Islamic Khartoum and become the minister of youth and sports. Then recently he returned to the SPLA's side...a bit confusing...maybe a bit of the myth of the greener grass.

Meanwhile in the southern countryside the war rages on and the ones who suffer the most are the children. In much of the south there is no commerce  to speak of, there are no hospitals, not many schools. As you drive through the south there is the danger of landmines, rebel groups that have been trained by Khartoum and have established bases inside of Sudan in order to invade Uganda. There is the renewed danger of a sleeping sickness that is affecting many near the Ugandan border and of course there is the lack of food. Here and there you can see a crop being planted usually near a newly built dwelling.

Many of the refugees have returned to their homes, but live without support, without an infrastructure is very hard for the people of Southern Sudan and the danger of renewed fighting in the liberated areas is always there...jon