In the 19th century, several German-speaking explorers, such as Wilhelm von Harnier, Georg Schweinfurth, and Richard Buchta, traveled to what is now South Sudan.

He introduced new crops to the region, expanded the road system, and brought new areas under Turkish influence.

In the early 20th century, German explorers Wilhelm Banholzer and Diedrich Westermann studied the Shilluk ethnic group in South Sudan.

In the second half of the 20th century, the Christian peoples of South Sudan waged a long-running war of independence against the Muslim Arab north.

[1] Due to the poor security situation in the country, the newly established German embassy in Juba had to be evacuated in 2016.