Posted on 31-5-2004
Sudan
Peace Deal Not End To Conflict
From Christian Science Monitor
After 21 years of war, and two years of peace negotiations,
the government
of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Army have taken a
major step
towards ending their conflict in Sudan through the signing of
three peace
accords. Despite this, huge challenges remain.
'It is certainly time we saw the end of Africa's longest running
war,'
says Dan Silvey, Christian Aid's policy officer for Africa.
'But we must
keep in mind that the situation is very complex, there are still
conflicts, such as Darfur, that are outside the scope of this
agreement.
'The deep-seated root causes of conflict in Sudan must be addressed.
And
it is imperative that the international community remains committed
to the
process if the people of Sudan are to see peace become a reality
in their
country.'
The impact of the war
At least two million civilians have been killed, through the
conflict and
through starvation. Millions more have been forced to flee to
safer areas
of the country or abroad. In the worst affected areas, the rule
of law has
been replaced by the power of the gun and government services
have largely
broken down. Sudanese communities have become divided and whole
areas at
times depopulated. Poverty is chronic and widespread.
Jemma Kumba, Christian Aid's gender officer for southern Sudan
has been a
close observer of the peace process for the past two years.
'It is vital
that the peace agreement is understood and supported by people
in all
areas of Sudan, not just the leaders who were involved in the
negotiations, ' warns Ms Kumba. 'For peace to last, people need
to see the
benefits of it, and to participate in Sudan's reconstruction
and recovery.
They also need to feel confident that the leaders will keep
their
promises, when in the past so many have been broken. '
The conflict in Darfur and other regions
Currently, hundreds of thousands are affected by devastating
conflict in
Darfur, western Sudan. This conflict is not directly addressed
in the main
peace process, but attempts to end it have been made through
separate
talks in neighbouring Chad. Although a temporary ceasefire was
agreed, the
fighting has not stopped. Christian Aid is extremely concerned
by the
consequences of this, particularly the ferocious attacks on
civilians.
There is opposition to the Sudanese government in many areas
of the
country, it is unclear how this peace agreement will address
their
grievances and prevent future conflicts from breaking out in
other areas
of the country. Even in areas not directly affected by conflict,
tight
security and suppression of opposition parties and human rights
abuses
have torn apart the vibrant and diverse civil and political
culture for
which Sudan was once renowned.
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