Eritrea and Post-Secession South Sudan: challenges, prospects and successes1. IntroductionSecessionist rebel movements devastated African states in the 1980s and 1990s. Most secessionist movements arose from the divide-and-rule system of the colonial era. Eritrea and South Sudan were colonized, but the secessionist movements were also born from "prolonged grievances" over the violation of human rights, the unequal distribution of political power, the marginalization from economic and social development and the cultural suppression. failed attempts at secession in many African countries, Eritrea and South Sudan managed to gain independence, with recognition from international and regional actors. However, the question remains whether these countries are on the right path to address the main challenges that emerge in the aftermath of secession, in the peace-building and state-building process, in particular with issues related to human rights, political stability and to development for their people who voted. for secession during referendums. The internal and external contexts in which both countries seceded might be to some extent different, but both appear to share challenges in peacebuilding and post-secession state-building. Therefore, this paper aims to examine the challenges, successes and prospects for peacebuilding and democratization in each country.2. Context of the secession of South Sudan and Eritrea Eritrea has been part of Ethiopian history since the 1st century AD and was an important part of the Axumite and Abyssinian rulers of Ethiopia. Historical and anthropological studies show that Eritrea was part of the genealogy of Ethiopia until the Italian invasion of 1890. and the whole community. 4The Comprehensive Peace Agreement ended the war for independence in 2005. The agreement established a power-sharing and economic development plan to be implemented with the promise to respect the right to self-determination when and if the period of " proof" had not brought the intended peace and a shared vision to Sudan. With the death of SPLM leader John Gerang in 2005, who was the main supporter of a united Sudan, South Sudanese interest has waned and with the lack of commitment from the Sudanese government to the issues agreed upon during the secession of CPA was seen as the only option. The government's stagnant political position has discouraged any possibility of the South imagining a unified Sudanese state. South Sudan gained independence in 2011 after a national referendum.