Saturday 9th January marked the fifth anniversary of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which ended nearly 20 years of civil war between North and South Sudan. Experts, academics, and NGOs have been highlighting the fragility of the CPA for some time now. 2010 is a critical year for Sudan. Without adequate preparation, the upcoming national elections and referendum could re-ignite conflict between the north and the south. The Sudan365 campaign is calling on the international community to use its influence to press the parties to resolve outstanding issues and prevent a return to all-out conflict.
Two new reports on Sudan are well worth a read. The first, Decisions and Deadlines: A Critical Year for Sudan is written by Dr Eddie Thomas for Chatham House. It explores the challenges around the April 2010 elections and the organisation of the three referendums in the coming year, including the one in which Southern Sudanese voters will decide on unity and independence. The report outlines the critical period that Sudan has entered into and the need for the country's powerful elites to reach agreement on a wide range of complex processes.
The second, Rescuing the Peace in Southern Sudan is from Oxfam. It focuses more on the humanitarian and security situation in Southern Sudan and calls on the Government of Sudan, the Government of Southern Sudan, key CPA guarantors, donors, UNMIS and the UNSC to take urgently needed measures to prevent conflict ahead of Sudan's 2010 elections and the 2011 referendum and its aftermath; protect civilians from violence; strengthen humanitarian assistance and access; and provide much needed development to the people of southern Sudan.
