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| Sunday, 16 January 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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A ray of hope Globescan by M. P. Muttiah
The peace agreement, between Sudan's Islamic government and Sudan's People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) in Nairobi last week, has signalled the end of 21-year civil war in the country. In the presence of 12 African heads of states or governments and US Secretary of State Colin Powell, Sudan's First Vice President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha and Chairman of the SPLM John Garang signed the accord. Sudan, which is called Bilad as-Sudan, `land of the black', is the largest African nation in area with more than 8 per cent of the continent and 2 per cent of the world's total area. John Garang's SPLM fought a civil war for more autonomy for the largely animist and Christian South for 21 years. This war had an impact on neighbouring countries like Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Ziare, Central African Republic, Chad and Libya. Sudan accused Eritrea of supporting SPLM and others. Efforts to demarcate the boundary with Ethiopia have been delayed by fighting in Sudan. Kenya's administrative boundary still exists into Sudan creating the "Ilemi Triangle". Egypt and Sudan claim to administer the triangular areas that extend north and south of the 1899 Treaty boundary along the 22nd Parallel, but both countries have withdrawn their military presence. Sudan has pledged to work with Central African Republic to stem violent skirmishes over water and grazing among related pastoral population along the border. These countries were drawn into the fighting and were forced to provide shelter to refugees, to contend with infiltration by rebel groups and to serve as mediators. Furthermore, an estimated two million have died of war, from starvation and disease as well as bullets and bombs. More than four million people have become displaced and refugees. Sudan attained independence in 1956, and the leaders of the northern region attempted to impose unity upon the nation through the extension of Islamic law and culture to all parts of the country. The Southerners opposed this policy. The Southern Sudanese rebels united under General Joseph Lagu of Southern Sudan Liberation Movement in 1971, and held talks with the government over proposals for regional autonomy to end the hostilities. The talks culminated in the signing of the Adis Ababa agreement in 1972. This agreement ended 17-year conflict between Anya Niya, fighting unit of the SSLM, and the Sudanese army, and ushered in an autonomy for the Southern regions merging three provinces. However, President Gaafar Mohamed el-Nimeiri in 1983, changed the nation's legal system to bring them into accord with Islamic law which was resisted by the Christians and animists of the South. Nimeiri acceded the arguments of Muslim Brotherhood and other northern political groups, that the Adis Ababa agreement had been a mistake and unilaterally abrogated it and divided the southern region into three provinces. This triggered dissatisfaction among Southern Sudanese and an army battalion stationed at Bor mutinied and fled into the bush under the leadership of Colonel Garang de Mabior. The rank of the Bor garrison had taken sanctuary in Ethiopia. The number swelled by discontented southerners, determined to redress their grievances by force of arms under the banner of Sudan People's Liberation Army as its political wing, Sudan People's Liberation Movement. Nimeiri, at first attempted to crush the movement by military force, deployed army but succeeded only in disrupting the distribution of food, which, when coupled with drought and diminished harvests, created famine in the South. Nimeiri facing an armed rebellion in the South and growing criticism in the North, softened his hard-line policies, annulled state emergency, rescinded the tripartite division of the South and suspended brutal aspects of the law. He was overthrown by his Chief of Staff, elections were held in 1986 and Sadiuq al-Mahdi became Prime Minister. After three years of political instability, party differences and abortive attempts to reach a peaceful settlement with the SPLM, a Revolutionary Command Council for National Salvation, led by Lieutenant General Umar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir, seized power. The RCCNM was in fact the vehicle of the National Islamic Front, the political party of the Muslim Brotherhood. The brutal repression continued against the South. Multi-party politics was introduced in January, 1999 and the opposition National Democratic Alliance which had conducted military operations against the government in both the North and South faced its own problems. The Northern members sought the support of Egypt and found that their ally was itself striving to improve its relations with the Sudan and was eager to maintain Sudanese unity. In addition, Eritrea that had offered both sanctuary and assistance to the NDA made peace with Sudan. Southern members of the NDA, who relied on the support of Uganda, continued their resistance. The government declared a two-month ceasefire, but was rejected by Garang's SPLM. The Sudanese army continued to lose town to the SPLM and unable to defeat the resistance on the battlefield government armed and unleashed an Arab militia known as Janjaweed. The agreement, which has its origins to 1997, which was signed last Sunday provides a six-year transitional period that will help ease the combatants towards peace. The agreement also calls for the merging of fighting forces, the sharing of oil wealth and the dividing up of political positions between northerners and southerners. Garang will become a Vice-President reporting to President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. The ruling National Congress Party and the SPLM will form a coalition government and will decentralise power. At the end of the six-year period, the South could vote for secession. It also provides for the lifting of state of emergency imposed in 1999 and freeing of prisoners. One of the significant aspects of the agreement is the negotiation and adoption of an interim constitution within six weeks. However, the agreement does not apply to the fighting in Darfur, the vast western region. Speaking at the Press Conference, Garang said that national power means little if there is no development in the south, where 7.5 million people are prey to perennial hunger and in dire need of roads, schools, phones and hospitals. If this agreement is dishonoured the country will break up, but if it is implemented the way it has been negotiated, there are good chances that the country can remain united, he further added. Meanwhile, oil and gas companies have turned their eyes on Sudanese oil industry. The United States indirectly said it would lift the sanctions against Sudan. US oil companies have begun to show interest in Sudan's undeveloped oil fields. Houston-based Marathon Oil resumed payments to the government as part of its partnership with TotalFinaElf in Block 5, an area of intense fighting during the war that could have one billion barrels reserve. The peace agreement between the Sudanese government and SPLM is a ray of hope at the end of the weary tunnel of civil war. |
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