Sudan peace agreement needs to be a lasting agreement
Sudan, Analysis, 10/11/2003

The Sudanese government and the Sudanese southern rebels (Sudan People Liberation Movement / Army) have made progress towards putting an end to what is called Africa's longest lasting conflict.

The conflict between ethnically and religiously diverse Sudanese, from southern animists and Christians in the south and the Muslims in the north that grade in ethnicity from African to Arab.

The southern Sudanese want equal political and civil rights and fair allocation of economic resources.

The agreement can be a great opportunity for a fresh start to Sudan in ensuring an end to the civil war that has severed to drain the wealth of this country and prevented progress, and in paving the way for a constitution that can liberate the energy of all Sudanese to be a productive part of the society and the economy by removing the great hidden cost placed on a country's social, political, and economic progress when discrimination and lack of open citizen participation in politics takes place.

The essential elements of this peace agreement are two folds along with the sharing of resources. 1. Equal rights of all Sudanese in all manners of economic, social, political and religious life. 2. Security arrangements between the warring parties.

While equal rights in the social, political and religious area can be inscribed and amended to the constitution, what is critical, is the foundation for institutions that would ensure these rights are more than a peace of paper, and can be counted on, under difficult circumstance, certain to arise in the future, of ensuring those rights. The last thing needed in the future would be a declaration of a state of emergency, as is typically the case, to wipe out all these benefits, and return the country to a state of conflict; a goal that many trouble makers would like to see Sudan undergo.

The second crucial issue is that of the security arrangement for disengagement and other security related issues. If this agreement was an agreement that was forced upon the two parties, then an international force would be a legitimate and desirable objective to have. But, since this is not the case, and the agreement is the work and consent of the two opposing sides, an international force can have exactly the opposite effect in the short, medium or long term. This would come about because any real agreement between the two sides, that have been warring for a long period, would take a long time before a "culture" of peace and understanding in behavior develops and takes place between the two sides. But before such a state is reached, the two sides will have to endure a difficult transition period, that will be like all transition periods, full of social and political tension and conflict. These tensions, can quickly return the country back to armed conflict, if either of the two sides aim or is encouraged to cause problems, or develop new (or already has hidden) agendas for separation. Having an international force only gives these elements the added incentive to cause problems, knowing that there is an international force giving status quo, supported by the UN Security Council (the US and UK among others), to maintain these forces, thus creating an effective split in Sudan, but now, under international authority. There are many dominant countries in the world that under supposed "goodwill goals" in order promote internal divisions for political and strategic objectives; besides, the world and international organizations and institutions have to learn to function and start creating mechanisms that are outside the UN Security Council, hard as this may be, until the world is able to rid itself of, or change this very harmful institution.

These two factors should be protected against. This can be done in one manner; by ensuring that the guarantees granted to the southern citizens of Sudan are not a mere peace of paper, but rather, a concrete framework that guarantees and protects their full rights as citizens in all domains of life. This means nothing less than the guarantee of all Sudanese citizens of these same rights, in the political, economic and religious field. Anything else, is likely to be a problem waiting to reemerge.

Sudan has suffered long enough. It is time to finish this problem, and do it right, by creating the strongest foundation possible to ensure the issues of religion and ethnicity are no more than a subject that can be discussed, but never acted upon to ever infringe the rights of any Sudanese. All the elements exist now to set Sudan on a future course for prosperity to be enjoyed by all Sudanese. The bad news is that this is not going to be easy to implement, the good news is that it can and must be done.

By,
Jamil Kazoun

Previous Stories:
  Calls for send peace keeping forces to Sudan   (10/10/2003)
  National conference party opened in Khartoum with Syrian participation   (10/9/2003)
  Difficult and complex tour Sudanese peace talks; Powell visits Kenya to encourage negotiations   (10/8/2003)
  Time to get rid of the US or the UN   (9/15/2003)
  Transparency: foundation for proper government   (5/17/2003)

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