People from southern Sudan rebelled against their government in the 2000s because of long-standing issues related to ethnic and regional marginalization, political oppression, economic exploitation, and lack of basic services such as education and healthcare. The government in Sudan was dominated by a northern Arab-led elite who marginalized the southern region and did little to help its development. The southern population, which is predominantly Christian and animist, felt that they were treated as second-class citizens. They also felt that the government was biased towards the north, which led to the unequal distribution of resources. These issues led to a full-scale rebellion that resulted in the separation of South Sudan from Sudan in 2011.
