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The Sudanese government signed a peace agreement in August with the Revolutionary Front of Sudan, a rebel coalition group. Talks related to the peace agreement, organized by South Sudan, began in late 2019 and discuss issues related to land rights, power-sharing and the return of millions of internally displaced persons within Sudan. In addition, the agreement includes the dissolution of the signing rebel forces and allows their integration into the national army.
In particular, the agreement would allow the southern provinces of South Kordofan, West Kordofan and the Blue Nile to act through self-government; according to the New York Times, these regions have seen the death of thousands since the fighting began in 2011. While the details of this agreement are still unclear, it is a diplomatic move reminiscent of the creation of the South Sudan Autonomous Region in 1972, another compromise. between Sudan and the rebel groups that would eventually lead to the creation of South Sudan as a nation after decades of civil war.
While this is an exciting and hopeful period, there has been a dangerous precedent for previous peace accords in 2006 and 2011, which failed to end the violence in the region. Another facet of concern about the peace accord is its inability to attract certain rebel factions that could prove important to the long-term peace of the nation.
The most notable absences were a wing of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) and a faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement, who refused to attend the peace talks. However, after recent successful negotiations, the SPLM-N and the Sudanese government agreed to hold new peace talks in South Sudan. The SPLM-N, a branch of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement created after the successful establishment of South Sudan in 2011, exists in a region of Sudan inhabited mainly by Christians and followers of indigenous African religions, two groups that have historically been repressed and underrepresented. in the Sudanese government. The SPLM-N has called for a secular democratic state within the Muslim-majority country.
Before the 2019 Sudanese Revolution, these peace accords would have been unthinkable. Under the leadership of Omar al-Bashir, the infamous dictator of Sudan from 1989 to 2019, Sudan was in a state of almost constant conflict. Whether it was the atrocities in Darfur, the widespread ethnic and religious tensions across the country, or the two civil wars with the region that is now southern Sudan, there was never any indication that al-Bashir was a leader who valued compromise. Fortunately, Al-Bashir was ousted as president in April 2019 and the nation is now led by a power-sharing agreement between military and civilians, led by Abdalla Hamdok. Hamdok, who was appointed prime minister in August 2019, will lead the nation during his transition period. He and other transition leaders are barred from running in the 2022 general election.
The OWP applauds the peacekeeping work of Abdalla Hamdok. Undoubtedly, his work as Deputy Secretary of the United Nations and his work with other international government agencies have prepared him to lead Sudan to more peaceful times until a new Prime Minister is elected in 2022. While the results of the negotiation of one year The processes are exemplary, there is still a long way to go regarding the implementation of the agreements. For this agreement to materialize, the diplomatic and financial support of the international community is very necessary. So far, the international community, through a partnership of the United Nations, the European Union and the German government, has pledged $ 1.8 billion in aid.
From a long-term perspective, the most necessary action by the international community is the end of the designation of Sudan as a State Sponsor of Terrorism by the United States government. Currently, Sudan is one of the four nations on the blacklist of American terrorism along with North Korea, Iran and Syria. As many in the international community have pointed out, this delineation could become one of the biggest obstacles to Sudan’s place on the world stage. In August, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo suggested the possibility of such a change while meeting with Hamdok. However, the State Department has asked Sudan to pay $ 335 million in compensation for the victims of the 1998 al-Qaeda bombings against the US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya before they could be delisted. of terrorists, citing that al-Bashir was harboring Osama Bin. Uploaded in Sudan from 1992 to 1996.
While there is no doubt that the victims of these terrorist bombings should receive their due reward, Sudan is not in an economic or political state to meet these requirements. Instead, the US government should rescind their request and submit it for discussion until a later date and immediately end Sudan’s presence on the terrorism blacklist. Doing so would remove the final vestiges of the Clinton-era economic and humanitarian sanctions. While these restrictions were largely lowered by the Obama administration in 2017, according to ReutersSudan’s presence on the terrorist list denies them access to World Bank and International Monetary Fund funding and deters most foreign banks from wanting to do business with Sudan.
Sudan is a nation on the verge of ending 70 years of near-continuous violence. While Prime Minister Hamdok and the leaders of the rebel groups have reached important agreements or have indicated their willingness to do so, these could be unsuccessful efforts without extensive international aid and the revocation of Sudan’s terror designation. Increased economic flow would improve the livelihoods of countless people in Sudan and provide the stability necessary for effective democratic elections. This economic coherence would allow the Sudanese government to focus on easing ethnic and religious tensions across the country and could foster a more peaceful future for a people who have been haunted by violence for decades.
Zoe recently graduated from Utah State University with a dual degree in International Studies and Biological Anthropology. Her research interests are primarily focused on foreign policy and public health issues.
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