Stories.
From the Editors
Renewing the Pledge: Re-engaging the guarantors to the Sudanese Comprehensive Peace Agreement [pdf]July, 2010
Renewing the Pledge is published by a coalition of 26 NGOs, including the Collaborative for Peace in Sudan – a network of local peacebuilding organisations in Sudan. The report argues that the country is under-prepared to the referendum on southern independence, recommending urgent action from African heads of state.
Southern Sudan At Odds With Itself: Dynamics of conflict and predicaments of peace [pdf]July, 2010
Extensive research into the causes of local conflicts in Sothern Sudan. Based over 300 in-depth interviews, Southern Sudan At Odds With Itself argues that standard explanations for local conflicts – ‘tribalism’ and interference from Khartoum – are inadequate, with the real causes being a complex mix of disputes over resources, territory, and other grievances, closely linked with a lack of clarity from the Government of South Sudan and international agencies.
Coping and change in protracted conflict: The role of community groups and local institutions in addressing food insecurity and threats to livelihoods. A case study of North Darfur, May 2010
The Overseas Development Institute (ODI) have just released a very detailed report on how local communities and organisations have had to adapt their food
Sudan Elections Q & A, March 2010. A useful background guide to the upcoming elections in Sudan, from the BBC.
Sudan: Preventing Implosion (International Crisis Group), December 09: The International Crisis Group report the failure to implement the various peace agreements in place in Sudan – the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the Darfur Peace Agreement, and the East Sudan Peace Agreement – is creating a real danger of renewed violence in the country.
“Sudan is sliding towards violent breakup. The main mechanisms to end conflicts between the central government and the peripheries … all suffer from lack of implementation …Unless the international community, notably the U.S., the UN, the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council and the Horn of Africa Inter-Government Authority on Development (IGAD), cooperate to support both CPA implementation and vital additional negotiations, return to North-South war and escalation of conflict in Darfur are likely.”
AllAfrica.com: ‘Sudan: Face of a Nation on the Brink,’ by Rebecca Hamilton (19th October 2009): The article reflects on a recent visit to Darfur by US Special Envoy, General Scott Gration. In 2006 the US were central in pushing forward the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), but has since failed to demonstrate such enthusiasm for its implementation. The article argues that over the next 18 months (in the run up to national elections and a North-South referendum) the US has a critical supporting role to play in insuring stability and peace across Sudan.
‘Today, Sudan stands on a precipice – of partition, and perhaps a return to all-out war. The next 18 months will determine not only the future of Sudan, but also what the coming decade will look like across the Horn of Africa.’
The Independent: ‘Darfur: A deadly new chapter’ 17th October 2009: This week, reports suggest the Lords Resistance Army (LRA), Africa’s most feared rebel force, have entered Darfur. The LRA has been terrorising the north of the DRC for 18 months but the bulk of its forces have now crossed into southern Darfur. This is a worrying development for
‘The Lord’s Resistance Army, one of the most feared guerrilla groups in Africa, has moved into Darfur… The possible arrival of a messianic cult notorious for rape, civilian massacres and the enslavement of child soldiers threatens fragile peace’.
Human Rights Watch: Darfur and the ICC – Myths versus Reality (March 2009): The International Criminal Courts (ICC) arrest warrant for Bashir’s is the first to be brought against a sitting head of state. This short article addresses some vital questions surrounding the dimension of this process and considers its consequences for the international community and the civilian population of Darfur.
‘On March 4, 2009, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. On March 5 the government of Sudan sought to divert attention from al-Bashir’s alleged responsibility for widespread atrocities by announcing its intention to expel aid agencies from Darfur and blaming the ICC. The intense public controversy generated by these events includes a number of myths, which are not borne out by reality…’
July 2009: United Nations and Partners: Work Plan For Sudan: Mid Year Review: This is an extensive operational review of humanitarian activities in Sudan from the UN and international NGO. It deals with the fallout of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir’s decision to expel international NGO’s from Darfur.
‘The update of the United Nations and Partners 2009 Work Plan marks a moment of transition. The events of early 2009 have changed the operational environment …the loss of Sudanese and international NGOs in early March has altered the humanitarian communities ability to implement programmes, challenging stakeholders to both respond to immediate life-threatening gaps and identify sustainable solutions…’
