Southern Sudan: Living under the shadow of the Lords Resistance Army.

The forthcoming referendum in southern Sudan will bear witness to the birth of a nation, as it is widely expected to confirm the already proliferated idea of the southerners wanting to secede from the North once and for all.

With a nation of their own, ostensibly to be called South Sudan, it is hoped that decades of hostility and animosity will be swept under the rug, putting an end to a continuous state of aggression that has witnessed two civil wars and seen millions of casualties inflicted.

Although some analysts are still concerned of future disputes over borders, oil and mineral resources, a looming menace could spell trouble for the fledgling nation.

The South faces a real threat posed by the 'Lord's Resistance Army' and its notorious leader, Joseph Kony, who is also wanted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Currently scattered over four countries - the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic and Southern Sudan - the LRA originated as a rebel force in Uganda but continues to cause havoc and terror across the region. In the Congo alone there have been nearly 200 separate attacks in the last year resulting in over 1,000 people killed or abducted.