SUDAN CONFLICT STILL PERSISTS

After a prolonged civil war lasting for decades between the North and South of Sudan in which millions of Sudanese perished which many feared it to be a perennial conflict, agreed for a ceasefire under the mediation of peace-loving statesmen to the relief of everybody. It was due to the untiring efforts of mediators of international standing that the cease-fire agreement arrived at. The peace formula arrived at was to hold a referendum whether the largest nation of African continent had to be split into two nations, the North Sudan and South Sudan. Accordingly under the keen observation of mediators and whole world the referendum was held in 2011 and predictably more than 90% who cast their votes favoured division of the largest country of North Africa into two nations - Sudan and South Sudan.

Omar Al Bashir who was ruling the whole country - a ruler against whom a warrant was served by the ICC (International Criminal Court) based in Hague to stand trial for his war crimes holding him responsible for the ruthless killing of 2-4 lakhs of Darfur victims which too lasted for a long period.Bashir defied the warrant with contempt as he has the support of many African nations against the ICC decision. The warrant is still in force and as long as it is in force he should have to tread a dangerous path. Darfur was in the news for several years, as it was a bloody civil war in which, as already mentioned lakhs and lakhs were slaughtered and many had to flee who set up refugee camps in the neighbouring nations.

Let’s come back to the referendum held and its result favouring a division of Sudan into two North Sudan and South Sudan. The catalyst for the citizens of Southern part of Sudan demanding and fighting for a country of themselves was that Northern Sudan exploited the oil-rich Southern part draining the wealth of people of Southern part of Sudan. Poverty, unemployment and slave-like existence for decades angered the people of South and after the last drop of patience got dried up, they rose in revolt against North which was mercilessly suppressed by the forces loyal to Omar-Al-Bashir. In spite of long lasting atrocities perpetrated against the people of South their unquenchable thirst for freedom couldn’t be suppressed and they didn’t cow down before the autocratic ruler Omar-Al-Bashir and his forces. The fiercer the repression, the more determined were the Southerners and resultantly fight between the two sides continued unabated. The world watched with agony sorrow and indignation, the pathetic sight of people falling prey to the attacks which was going on. Actually it was like fire-flies being swallowed by fire which spread across both sides of Sudan.

International pressure mounted on Omar-Al-Bashir to put an end to the genocide, but the authoritarian ruler was bent upon finishing off the rebels and vowed to continue the battle.

Pressure continued to mount on him from across the whole world, the mediators of international standing impressed upon Omar repeatedly the consequences of the fight raging on and he finally agreed for a referendum to be held and thus a cease-fire agreement came into force.

After 90% of the citizens opted for a division of the country the spadework for other formalities began all under the careful watch of mediators finally on 9^th July 2011 South Sudan came into existence. South Sudan took membership in UN as the 193^rd country in the comity of nations.

Unfortunately the coming into existence of South Sudan was not the end of the issue. Though a government was formed under Salva Kiir, with Juba as the Capital the oil rich South Sudan was looked upon with jealousy by the North because scarcity of oil adversely affected the economy of North Sudan. They had to fabricate one reason or other to continue the enmity between the two nations and that enmity centred on border-security.

North Sudan eyed the abundant oil-rich part of South Sudan as a result of which a showdown became inevitable and both reached on the verge of war. After a lull the storm once a again started blowing vigorously.

South Sudan which is on a development trajectory wants to avoid a fight and it has of late extended an olive branch by promising to write - $4.9 billion – ‘both for over the oil payments before independence and for oil confiscated after independence by Sudan’. South Sudan offered a compensation package of $ 3.2 billion to help plug its rival’s gaping budget deficit and higher oil export fees in order to revive the stalled talks. But Sudan sticks to its stand reaching an agreement on border security first before discussing any oil or financial deal for which South Sudan has not yet agreed. That which threatens both countries is UN Security Council’s warning of slapping sanctions on both countries if the contentious issues are not settled before August 2.

The stand-off continues with North demanding settlement of dispute over the territory.