Flag of South Sudan

The flag of South Sudan was adopted following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended the Second Sudanese Civil War. A different version of the flag was previously used as the flag of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement. The flag of South Sudan predates the country, as the flag was adopted in 2005, while the country became independent in 2011.

History
When Sudan became independent in 1956, the predominantly Christian and Animist 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.

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. However, the flag was never actually defined in detail, which led to misunderstandings regarding its official colours or the rotation of the star on it.

To address the discrepancies, on 25 August 2023, the Media Authority of South Sudan released an advisory to advertisement and printing companies identifying the correct version of the flag as having a light blue chevron and upright star. It is now illegal in South Sudan to distribute alternate reproductions of the flag which feature a dark blue chevron or tilted star.

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.

Since the flag was adopted, there have been disagreements about whether the star should be tilted to the right slightly or upright, and whether the chevron should be dark blue or sky blue. The fixed and tilted stars were both used at John Garang's funeral in 2005. Variants of the flag with dark blue chevron, tilted stars, or both were commonly used until 2023, when the government declared the sky blue chevron and upright star as the only accepted version.

Colour scheme
A variant of the flag with a dark blue triangle, instead of sky blue, has also been used. On August 25, 2023, the Media Authority of South Sudan released an advisory discouraging the use of such flag variant. It is illegal in South Sudan to distribute an incorrect reproduction of the flag.

Symbolism and representation
The South Sudanese government specifies that the colours of the flag were chosen to represent these characteristics of South Sudan:
 * 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 and natural wealth, as well as progress.
 * White: Represents peace.
 * Blue: Represents the waters of the Nile River, a source of life.
 * Yellow: Represents unity (of the states), hope, and determination for all people.

Political party flags
Including militant organizations barred from participation in electoral politics.

Sub-national flags
South Sudan has ten states, two administrative areas and one area with special administrative status. The ten states have adopted state flags.