After months of what one can only term as the ‘digging in of heels’ of the respective parties involved in the bloody dispute, it came as a shock to most observers when the Sudanese government this week revealed that it was now ready to resume talks with South Sudan.
Origins of the Dispute
Observers recall that the present conflict stems from a border dispute between both countries which arose in April of this year. Subsequent talks engineered by the African Union unsurprisingly failed to yield the desired results due to both sides’ entrenched positions. The crux of the matter was essentially a ‘minor’ – in the grand scheme of things – disagreement as to how and where the demilitarised buffer zone was to be erected.
Whilst attempting to avoid accusations of being pessimistic, one cannot help but raise the rather valid point that if the above disagreement was sufficient in itself to halt negotiations, it is in turn overly difficult to countenance how both parties will be able to resolve other issues which have also been thrown into the mix. Both countries are at loggerheads over oil export fees as South Sudan heavily depends on Sudan for exporting oil. Further, there are accusations made by both sides regarding the other’s association or rather affiliation with armed gangs who carry out raids on each other’s territory as well as additional disputes in relation to ownership of oil producing border regions.
The United Nations Involvement
The conflict has inevitably resulted in further unnecessary loss of life which is in addition to the about 2 million lives lost during the civil war between the north and south in the period of 1955 to 2005. The UN, for all the mostly deserved criticisms levelled at it in recent times, has been swift to act on this rare occasion. The Security Council’s May 2 resolution has widely been credited for preventing further escalation of the conflict between both nations. Susan Rice, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations acknowledged as such in declaring that the conflict between both the Sudan and South Sudan was “in a better place” than was the case prior to the authorisation of the resolution.
Humanitarian Crises
In respect of the humanitarian crises which arose in the South Kordofan and Blue Nile regions which appear to be the most affected areas owing to the conflict, she stated: "What we are seeing in terms of those refugees who have made it across the border is absolutely alarming. Those are the healthy ones, comparatively, that are able to make it out…this is indeed an exceedingly worryingly situation.” She continued, "There has been no progress in terms of the government of Sudan allowing open humanitarian access, including into rebel areas."
South Sudan and its Chequered History
South Sudan has had a rather chequered history since it attained independent status last July, thus becoming the world’s newest country. Aside the war with its more illustrious neighbour, South Sudanese government officials are battling allegations of chronic corruption made by its President, Salva Kiir. The embezzlement of public funds has been blamed for the little to no evidence of State development since it succeeded in seceding from its parent country, the Sudan. This has led to the country’s president issuing an unprecedented public call, by way of a letter, for the return of public monies. In the letter to current and former government officials dated 3rd May, Mr Kiir stated: "An estimated $4 billion are unaccounted for or, simply put, stolen by former and current officials, as well as corrupt individuals with close ties to government officials."
Sound-off
Whether next week’s meeting between both countries will be successful at achieving a cessation of hostilities is anyone’s guess. What appears to be clear however is that the said meeting probably presents the last opportunity for the resolution of matters via dialogue before full scale violence engulfs this war-afflicted region of the world.
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