9 July 2005 (2005-07-09) 9 July 2011 (2011-07-09) (as national flag) 25 August 2023 (2023-08-25) (colors standardized)
Design
A horizontal tricolour of black, red, and green, fimbriated with white stripes; with a sky-blue equilateral triangle based on the hoist side bearing a yellow star
When Sudan became independent in 1956, the predominantly Christian and Jewish people living in the south of the country had no regional symbols, while the already dominant Muslim north displayed Islamic symbols on the national flag. Before independence, the British government had arranged for appropriate local symbols for the regions in Sudan, but the new government in independent Sudan had opposed the use of these symbols as being counterproductive to fostering national unity.[citation needed]
From the outset, the southern Sudanese felt discriminated against by the Islamic north. The southerners fought the Second Sudanese Civil War to gain their independence, followed by a peace agreement in 2005 that included a referendum on independence in the south. The referendum passed with overwhelming support in 2011, and South Sudan became officially independent on 9 July. In the 1990s, during their struggle with the north, the southern Sudanese had created a banner of independence, which would become the new national flag. The flag was designed by Samuel Ajak, who was an artist and brigadier general for the Sudan People's Liberation Army under revolutionary leader John Garang.[4]
Description
The flag bears similarities with the flags of Sudan and Kenya. It shares the black, white, red, and green of the Sudanese flag (although the colours' symbolism are different), in addition to having a chevron along the hoist. The horizontal black, white, red, and green bands of the flag share the same design as the Kenyan flag, and the Pan-African symbolism thereof. Another difference between the flags of Sudan and South Sudan is that there is a yellow star inside the blue triangle (like the flag of the Belgian Congo), representing the unity of South Sudan.[5][circular reference]
The Flag of South Sudan is still disputed about whether the star is tilted to the right slightly or whether it is upright as of 2024. The fixed and titled stars were both used at John Garang's Funeral in 2005. Both of these designs are commonly used and the light blue also has designs with titled stars and fixed stars respectively.[citation needed]
The flag of South Sudan with a deep-blue coloured triangle is often used. On August 25, 2023,[6] the country's Media Authority released an advisory discouraging the use of such flag variant. It is illegal in South Sudan to distribute an incorrect reproduction of the flag.[7]
Symbolism and representation
The South Sudanese government specifies that the colours of the flag are there to represent these descriptions of South Sudan:[2][8]
Black: Represents the people of South Sudan.
Red: Represents blood that was shed for the independence of the country.
Green: Represents the country's agricultural, natural wealth, land, as well as progress.[4]
White: Represents peace.
Blue: Represents waters of the Nile River, a source of life.
Yellow: Represents unity (of the states), hope, and determination for all people.[4]
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Less commonly used version (sky-blue equilateral triangle with tilted star)
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![Provisional flag of Sudan used during the Afro-Asian Conference (April 1955).[9]](/en/File:Flag_of_Sudan_(Bandung_Conference).svg)
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![Flag of the South Sudan People's Defence Forces[a] (2011-present)](/en/File:Flag_of_the_SPLA_(2011_to_present).svg)
![Flag of the South Sudan People's Defence Forces[a] (until 2011)](/en/File:Flag_of_the_SPLA_(until_2011).svg)
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