Sudan: a country at the crossroads
The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended the two decade war between the North and South was signed in January 2005 by the National Congress Party and by the Sudanese Peoples Liberation Movement. Since then both parties have worked steadily to implement the agreement, though not without some hiccups. Since the signing at Machakos in Kenya in 2005, the CPA has been instrumental in creating a framework to resolve the long standing conflict in the Sudan between North and South, leading up to the referendum on the future of the South, due to take place in January next year. During these five years of the interim period, many of the provisions laid down in the CPA have been implemented, including clauses covering power and wealth sharing. Others, among them clauses on security and the Abyei border issue, while they may have made significant and encouraging progress, are still in the process of implementation.
The Government of National Unity, established in accordance with the agreement, has held the first democratic elections in Sudan for over 20 years. This, in turn, is creating the framework to provide for the final details for full implementation of the CPA as well as the preparations for the conduct of the referendum. The schedule for the referendum, however, remains tight; the referendum commission is becoming pressed for time as it is only five more months before the conclusion of the CPA’s interim period.
These next five months will be critical in this respect. Although most of the provisions in the CPA have been implemented, the remaining issues such as the South –North border demarcation, the establishment of Abyei Referendum Commission and the question of citizenship are still under negotiation. The international community certainly expects the parties will come up with amicable solutions. Equally, these issues still need careful and well-thought out handling. Even if few in number, they are critical issues in moving the CPA process forward. Negotiating a settlement to these continuing differences, which now include the timing of registration for the referendum, and all other pending issues, is becoming critical. The two parties need to demonstrate a greater resolve and commitment for the full and complete implementation of all aspects of the CPA.
One critical issue that the CPA did not include was any Post Referendum Arrangement (PRA). However, both parties have recognised this omission, and they quickly resorted to dialogue with a view to sorting out issues that needed to be addressed before the referendum took place. What has been achieved so far is indeed commendable, but there is still more to be agreed. Both parties have registered a considerable amount of success following their consultations. At the same time, whatever the outcome of the referendum, it should be seen as an opportunity to create a lasting partnership between the NCP and SPLM, to ensure sustainable peace, stability and security for all the peoples of the Sudan.
Equally, for obvious reasons the peace and stability of the Sudan have their own implications for the benefit of the sub-region as a whole. The Sudan is a country bordering nine other countries in Africa. Any problems in the Sudan could certainly have a trickledown effect throughout the region as a whole and to individual countries that share a common border with the Sudan. The maintenance of peace and security in the Sudan is therefore of great concern not only to the parties involved in the CPA, but also to all the countries in the region as well as to the African Union and even the international community at large.
The CPA has provisions that accommodate the concerns of both parties. It remains of critical concern that the parties move to implement the reality of the CPA, both in theory and in application. The parties have shown time and again that they are capable of delivering their commitment to realise peace in the Sudan. They still have more to do. The international community must now encourage the parties, and those who have been given the mandate to assist the two parties, to ensure the full implementation of the CPA.