Hudson Institute holds symposium on ‘Post CPA Sudan: Ongoing violence and violations and the effect on civil society”

The Hudson Institute held a symposium on January 11 to discuss “Post CPA [Comprehensive Peace Agreement] Sudan: Ongoing violence and violations and the effect on civil society.” The assembled panel included knowledgeable experts from different fields.

The Rt. Reverend Alapayo Manyang Kuctiel, Bishop of Rumbek, Episcopal Church of Sudan, began his speech by thanking the Institute for spotlighting the subject and the audience for attending. Then, he said, “We need the United States to come, we need to put our hands together America, Sudan and the international organizations.” He continued by saying that the Sudanese government is now just buying time.

Alapayo also said that the first 6 months of the next American president’s term will be very important. He sought to convey the message that post-Bush administration policy will be very critical for Sudan. In reference to the run-up to the last presidential election, he said that Sudan did not feel the threat of forthcoming pressure as they did not think that President Bush was going to be reelected. In light of this, Alapayo maintained that it is critical that the next president take the right stance on Sudan from the outset.

Roger Winter, former Special Representative of the Deputy Secretary of State for Sudan, also talked about the importance of the next administration. Winter raised the issue of Abyei, a small place with a small population, but a locale of great importance to the CPA. Winter said that the question of Abyei was rejected. The region, considered a bridge between northern and southern Sudan, has been a flashpoint since the end of colonial rule. For several years now, there have been attempts to give Abyei the right to a referendum that would determine whether the region would fall under the administrative control of the North or the South. However, a referendum provision has never been implemented.

“Abyei is at its maximum vulnerability and the U.S. has paid no attention to it,” Winter said.

Jimmy Mulla, President, Southern Sudanese Voice for Freedom, said that “the post CPA has dampened hopes and the effects on the civil society in terms of, security, political stability, peace and provision of services is huge.” He added that, in this context it is important to take a close look at the situation in Sudan, analyzing the drawbacks and making necessary adjustments in order to help avert a return to war. Mulla said that even since the signing of the CPA, Khartoum’s actions have proven that there is serious lack of political will on the part of the country’s National Congress Party (NCP) to consider a new political dispensation. With its newfound economic wealth from oil revenues, the NCP-dominated government in Sudan is more like a private enterprise under the monopoly of the powerful few, Mulla said, adding that the NCP controls the economy and makes all kinds of deals to retain power. “There is therefore no incentive to change the status quo any time soon,” he added.

Many nations have interests in Sudan and Mulla referred to some as “bad actors,” including China, Russia, the Arab League countries and other African Union countries. “Due to its economic interests and huge demand for oil, China continues to provide political and diplomatic cover to Sudan,” Mulla stated. On the Arab League, he said that these countries have put their interests first and have not been forthcoming in terms of stronger international action to ensure Sudan’s compliance to United Nations Security Council resolutions. Mulla stressed that applying pressure on both the Sudanese government and other actors as China, Russia and the Arab League is critical to the advancement of the peace process to move peace forward. He closed his presentation by saying that there is still a window to change the situation in Sudan.

Sudanese president pardons British teacher for insulting Islam

British schoolteacher Gillian Gibbons, who was arrested in Sudan for allowing her students to name a teddy bear Muhammad, was pardoned by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir Monday, The New York Times reported the same day.

Gibbons was sentenced to serve 15 days in prison last week for insulting Islam. The sentence was protested on Friday by hundreds of Sudanese who considered it too lenient.

Bashir delivered the pardon after meeting with two Muslim peers from Britain’s House of Lords.

Bashir is currently under pressure from the United Nations and Western countries who are saying Sudan is obstructing an expanded peacekeeping force in the Darfur region of the country.

“This was all political,” said Kamal al-Gizouli, Gibbons’ defense attorney. “The government did this to show they are tolerant. They don’t need any more problems with the world and the international media.”

Gibbons released a statement in which she apologizes for offending Muslims.

“I have been in Sudan for only four months but I have enjoyed myself immensely,” the statement said. “I have encountered nothing but kindness and generosity from the Sudanese people. I have great respect for the Islamic religion and would not knowingly offend anyone and I am sorry if I caused any distress.”

Gibbons was sent home to England Monday.

For the full article, click here.

Wilson Center hosts president of Southern Sudan for update on peace agreement

The Woodrow Wilson Center on November 7 hosted the event, “Sudan Update: Is the Comprehensive Peace Agreement Holding?” Present to speak was His Excellency Salva Kiir Mayardit, First Vice President of Sudan and President of the Government of Southern Sudan.

Mayardit said that Sudan has faced critical issues in implementing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). The differences between the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the National Party is a major issue; it has resulted in the SPLM leaving the Government of National Unity in protest a few months ago

In the transition to democracy, Sudan needs to do many things that are not currently being done, His Excellency said. When it comes to the transformation process, the National Congress Party (NCP) is dragging their feet in accomplishing anything, Mayardit said, adding that this has served to water down the CPA. He also said that a major problem has been the lack of free and fair elections.

Mayardit also argued that any party from the south other than the SPLM would not accept the CPA, and the same goes for the north, thereby making it seem like there is almost a dictatorship within the country.

One of the major challenges facing peace in Sudan, Mayardit said, is the issue of oil and border definition. Oil revenue is supposed to be shared between the north and the south; however, the north has not been splitting its revenue in this way. Additionally, because the borders are hard to define, he said, they keep shifting southward to where more oil is located.

His Excellency also discussed the current situation in Darfur. He said that “Darfur is the new national identity of Sudan,” demonstrating that the country is a multi-ethnic rather than Islamic state. He also compared the current situation in the region to what Southern Sudan faced during the civil war.

When asked about the role of women in Sudan, Mayardit gave the floor to a female member of his delegation. She explained that the SPLM upholds the values and principles of justice and equality. In regards to the peace talks for Darfur, she said that if no Darfurian women had been included, the Southern Sudanese women would have given the President a hard time.

The relationship of the United States with Sudan was also brought up. Mayardit said the U.S. has been supportive of the CPA, and has given support to litigations. He added that the U.S. gave relief to the people of Sudan during the war. Regarding the U.S. role in Darfur, Mayardit said that America is not responsible for the situation because it is a Sudanese problem. He believes the U.S. should assist in whatever way the country is able.

The CPA is struggling, Mayardit said, adding that external pressure to form the peace agreement can cause the people of Sudan to feel as if they do not have ownership of it. However, achieving a sustainable resolution to the conflict in Sudan is critical, Mayardit stressed. “Peace in Sudan is key to peace in all of Africa, and the whole world,” he said.

Bush’s Darfur policies falling short

Since the Bush administration classified the violence in Darfur as genocide two and a half years ago – making the U.S. the first and only nation to do so – some have argued that Washington has stalled in attempting to fulfill its promise to end the violence in Sudan.

An article in today’s Washington Post commented on a host of issues that have contributed to the wilting domestic and international commitment to the crisis. Despite the president’s passion for this issue, his policies have fluctuated between putting pressure on and engaging with the Islamist government. Constant turnover of crucial advisors on Darfur has also contributed to the slow progress. The current U.S. involvement in other Muslim countries, such as Iraq and Afghanistan, has added to the already complex foreign relations quagmire.

“It’s impossible to keep Iraq out of this picture,” said Edward Mortimer, who served as a top aide to then-U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and says resentment over Iraq caused many countries to not want to cooperate with the United States on Darfur.

Multilateral bodies such as the U.N., NATO, and the African Union have suffered from bureaucratic slowness, preventing a unified effort to address the humanitarian crisis.

Notably, few other Western nations besides Britain and a handful of Nordic countries have shouldered responsibility for resolving the violence either diplomatically or militarily.

According to the article: “Advisers say Bush came to accept, albeit grudgingly, the arguments against using U.S. military assets – especially the possibility that they might attract al-Qaeda.”

“In my mind, there would never be enough troops to impose order on this place,” former secretary of state Colin Powell said an interview. “The only way to resolve this problem was for there to be a political settlement between the rebels and the government.”

“Overall,” concluded John R. Bolton, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, “Sudan is a case where there’s a lot of international rhetoric and no stomach for real action.”

For the full article, click here.

Wilson Center event highlights connections between environment and conflict in Sudan

The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars hosted a discussion on September 21 examining the environmental links to peace and conflict in Sudan. The speakers, Ibrahim Thiaw and Andrew Morton, presented the United Nations Environment Program’s “Sudan Post-Conflict Environmental Assessment” to a packed auditorium.

Thiaw, director of the division of environmental policy at the UNEP, first highlighted the different environmental landscapes within Sudan: the north is arid and the scarcity of natural resources there leads to competition and conflict, whereas the southern provinces boast a more tropical environment where numerous resettlement communities have flourished – pressing resources as well as the limited infrastructure.

Thiaw also emphasized that the connections among the environment, climate change, and poverty are indisputable and that this relationship – one that is certainly not unique to Sudan – requires greater attention from the international community, specifically in the form of peace-keeping forces.

Andrew Morton, the Sudan project coordinator at the UNEP’s post-conflict branch, presented the research methods and findings of the environmental assessment. He highlighted the positive findings, some of which included the decentralization of the government, the recently signed peace agreement between northern and southern Sudan, the local recognition of environmental problems, and the fact that 75 percent of the country is at peace. Morton also noted the widespread recognition of environmental problems among local Sudanese and their marked commitment to addressing these issues.

Negative findings included desertification in the northern regions, internal displacement of numerous Sudanese citizens, a 30 percent drop in rainfall that led to drought, a 20 to 70 percent decrease in food production capacity, and the absence of substantial policies to address these challenges.

Both scholars addressed the causes for these negative findings, but cautioned against conflating the issues. They cited examples of conflicts between farmers and pastoralists, two groups that have historically practiced reconciliation. However, recent legal reforms no longer recognize the tribal bodies from each group that once served as a forum to settle disagreements, leaving the groups resentful and without political resources.

Thiaw and Morton also highlighted the displacement of people due to certain agricultural practices, such as when groups abandon fields after a few years of planting because it is cheaper to migrate than to rehabilitate the field. These practices simultaneously reduce land availability in Sudan and prevent environmental sustainability. The resultant north-to-south migrations are also creating tensions within urban areas.

No comments were made concerning the difficulties of Sudanese women, who face danger on a daily basis while traveling long distances to collect firewood.

Recommendations (the report cited 85 in total) to remedy Sudan’s environmental problems included a call for investment in environmental management, with funds being directed to the Sudanese government. Morton also pointed out that while it is easy to obtain relief funding, he argued that it is imperative that this short-term funding be transformed into longer-term development funding in order to promote sustainability in the region.

The forum concluded with the assertion that the UNEP cannot and does not strive to solve all the problems in Sudan alone, but rather seeks to initiate dialogue and encourage collaboration with many other groups.