Southern Sudan, as you may know is voting this weekend to determine whether they will secede from Sudan, proper, and form their own country.

Apparently, the Southern Sudanese people are quite joyful over this. But the Czar will remind them not to celebrate too much, too soon: this will probably not be a peaceful separation.

The country has long had internal conflicts, divided often among religious lines (the South tends to be Christian and animist, the North is Muslim)—but not always restricted to religious ideology. That does not simply go away with an international border, as we too often see. And secession is always more popular in the land actually seceding than the country being vivisected: Sudan may not be terribly enthusiastic about this, and may not recognize the new country. At all.

Meanwhile, violence in the two regions continues. The Czar is always interested in a new country, especially if they seek his guidance on obtaining a new flag, national anthem, and official mascot. But he fears this one may not work out as intended.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.